A Place To Stay
by yunakitty
Summary: Cliff has run out of money, and has to leave Mineral Town...until a certain blonde farmer gives him a job and a place to stay. Will love blossom between them? CliffxClaire, a lot of lemon content from Chapter 6 and beyond. A love story.
1. Come Out of the Cold

Claire was walking back to her farmhouse from the barn when she saw him. He was just a figure in the distance at first, but as he got closer she realized it was Cliff. Trudging through the snow with a backpack, he was about the most miserable thing she'd ever seen. His face was determined but deeply sad. He seemed like he was going to walk right past the farmhouse when pity overwhelmed her. She ran over to him.

"Cliff, where are you going on a day like this?" she asked.

He gave her a halfhearted little smile. "Heh…I'm not really sure." His face changed suddenly. "Claire, it's been really nice knowing you. Good luck with the farm."

"Whoa, whoa!" she said. "What's with the gloomy talk? Are you all right?"

He squirmed a little, uncomfortable. "I…ah…I have to leave town. I can't stay at the inn any more. My money ran out a week ago. Doug pretty much made it clear that I wasn't welcome any more. I've been trying to find work for months. But, there just isn't any work to be found in this town for a guy like me."

"But where will you go?" she asked.

Claire had unintentionally hit a sore spot. His eyes welled up with tears and he slumped a little. "I don't really know, but somewhere."

She couldn't just let it go like that. Snow fell down around them, soft, cold flakes landing on their faces. "Look, Cliff, come inside for a little while."

He straightened himself up. "I don't want any more pity. I have to be a man."

"Well, at least come inside and warm up a little before you go on. You look half frozen," Claire pleaded with him.

He hesitated, but then agreed.

They went inside. He shrugged off his heavy pack near the doorway and sat down in the kitchen. Claire slid into the seat across from him and gave him a little smile. He looked down in his lap.

"Listen," she said. "You say there aren't any jobs to be had in this town, but there is one, at least."

He perked up. "What's that?"

"Here. I need help on the farm. Sure, there's no crops in winter, but this is the season that I really breed my chickens and concentrate on livestock, and there's firewood to be chopped, fences to be fixed, and lots of other stuff. Honestly, I'm breaking my back trying to do it all, but I didn't go around town shouting that from the rooftops, since everyone thinks I'm the city girl who's going to fail miserably at farm life anyway. If I had known you needed work that badly, I would have told you a long time ago."

He looked at her, a little bit of doubt on his face. "Really? You're not just saying that because you feel sorry for me?"

"No way!" she laughed. "You're hired."

She looked around the small cottage. "I'm sorry it's so small." she said as she cleared a few old magazines out of the end table by the couch. "I don't have a guest bedroom, so you'll have to sleep here on the couch. These end tables have drawers that you can keep your stuff in, plus there's the hall closet you can hang things in. Gotz has been nagging me to expand the place, but I really didn't have a reason or the money to do it. But with you helping out around here, my production can increase, and I can afford to do stuff like that. There's only so much a girl can do by herself!" she laughed nervously.

He hadn't said much since he came in, and Claire shot a side glance at him. She was shocked to see that he was absolutely pale. He looked exhausted. She wondered to herself when the last time he ate was. "I'm sorry, I'm just running my mouth. Do you want to get a shower before supper?"

He perked up at the word supper. "Yeah, that sounds really good, actually." He looked at her, blushed, and looked away. "I'll just unpack some of my stuff," he said.

"Great," she replied. "The bathroom is right there, and there are towels and everything in the cabinet in there. Just make yourself at home," she smiled at him. "Well…ah…I'm going to get started on dinner."

Claire hustled into the kitchen and rummaged around in the vegetable bins. She selected a few eggplant, carrots, and bell peppers that had lasted from the tail end of her fall crop. As she washed them off in the sink, she heard the shower come on. Her mind started buzzing. She had always found Cliff really attractive. She hadn't really gotten to know him because she had been overwhelmed with my new farm.

"If I had only known that he was willing to work here! I really do need help," she thought to herself. There were so many things she wanted to do with the farm, new crops that she wanted to try, but she just couldn't manage the workload by herself. And now, he was actually going to be living here. Sleeping under the same roof! Claire chopped the vegetables roughly. Steady now, she told herself. "I don't even know if he's attracted to me, and if I try to come onto him, I could totally scare him off and not only would I be devastated, I'd lose the farmhand I so desperately need!" She heard the shower go off just as she was sautéing the vegetables in a soup pot. She added water and stirred the stew. Before long it was bubbling thickly, and Cliff came out of the bathroom wearing a long sleeved black shirt and flannel pants.

He looked nervous. "Ah…is it OK if I wear my pajamas around the house? I really don't have a lot of clothes, and…"

Claire laughed nervously. "Well, you're not going to get a lot of privacy sleeping in the living room, and I don't expect you to wear outside clothing when you sleep! It's fine, you're decent."

She smiled and motioned for him to sit at the dinner table. He smiled back as he sat down. "Well, I hope this is all right," she said as she ladled the stew into a bowl in front of him. "I know Doug's cooking at the inn is way better than mine, but I haven't poisoned myself yet, so it should be okay."

Claire was startled when she heard a choking noise come from Cliff, and she looked up quickly. He had his face in his hands. He breathed in deeply, and then looked up at her, tears glistening in his eyes. "I'm…I'm sorry," he stammered. "I'm just really grateful that you are doing all this for me. Are you sure it's not just out of pity?"

"Of course not!" she reassured him, moving over and stroking his back. "I really need you here."

Standing so close to him, she could feel his warmth through his shirt, and smell his freshly washed skin. She wished they could just stay like that longer, but she didn't want to make him feel awkward. She moved away and dished herself some soup. She sat down across from him and they ate. "It's good," he said.

"I can tell!" Claire laughed. "You're really wolfing it down!"

He smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, I'm really hungry."

"Well, eat all you want," she said as she spooned more into his bowl.


	2. People

The next day, Claire showed Cliff around the farm. He was very quiet and eager to learn. She left him doing some tasks for her in the barn, and went into town to get a few supplies. As she was walking back through Rose Square, she passed the "Gossip Girls," namely Sasha, Manna, and Anna, doing their daily thing. Just as she walked by, she heard Manna say, "Oh, that poor boy Cliff. He ran out of money and he had to leave town. I wonder where he is now, poor thing."

Claire stopped and turned. "Oh, Manna, he didn't leave town. I gave him a job at my farm."

All three women looked stunned, and immediately started murmuring. Manna raised her eyebrows at Claire innocently. "Don't you have a one-bedroom house, dear? Where will he sleep, in the barn?"

Claire's face burned. "He's sleeping on the couch." She straightened herself up. "He's really going to be a big help to me, and I'm glad he's staying in Mineral Town."

Manna just smiled. "That's nice, dear."

As Claire walked away, she heard the frenzied whispering, but she had no idea what she just set in motion.

That evening, as Claire prepared dinner, she was startled by a very loud rapping at her door.

Wiping her hands on a dish towel, she glanced at Cliff, who was doing some repairs to the floor. He just shook his head at her and looked puzzled.

Claire opened the door. There stood Mayor Thomas, looking very perturbed. He cleared his throat noisily and looked pointedly at Claire, then over at Cliff, then back at Claire.

"My dear, I have heard some rather," here he cleared his throat loudly again, "some rather disturbing reports that you have invited a man into your house. May I remind you that the terms of agreement of the conditional lease of this farm only allow for cohabitation between related or married residents?"

Claire got scared for a moment, then as she looked at Mayor Thomas in his silly little suit and hat, she got bold. "I understand that, Mayor Thomas. But, owing to the poor condition that you handed this farm over to me in, I require the assistance of a farm hand to right things." She gestured at Cliff, who had frozen over his work when Mayor Thomas arrived, but began busily hammering away to show that he was being useful. "I cannot ask him to sleep in the barn, the chicken coop, the silo or the doghouse. And as this house is small, which may I add you were not entirely truthful as to the square footage in the advertisement, he cannot have his own bedroom, but instead has to sleep out here on the couch."

Mayor Thomas reddened, choked, and fiddled with his mustache. "Well then, I see. Good day to you!" He spun around on his silly little heels and ran off into the night. Claire slammed the door after him.

Cliff rolled back on the floor, laughing uncontrollably. "Oh, Claire," he wiped the tears of laughter from his eyes. "You told him! The look on his face! I thought his big head was going to pop off!"

Claire started laughing too and went back to fixing dinner. "He did look pretty ridiculous." She stopped laughing and mused for a minute. "I wonder who gave him that 'disturbing report'?" She thought for a while, stirring the pot. "Oh no…" she mumbled.

"What?" Cliff asked.

Claire looked at him and winced. "I told Manna that you were staying here."

Cliff groaned. "Oh, that woman's notorious! She even gossips in church! Well, at least everybody knows where I am and that I'm still alive."

Claire nodded and shrugged. "I wonder if any more of the 'Welcome Wagon' is going to come by for you?"

As if on cue, there was a loud knocking at the door. "What now?" Claire sighed, putting down the spoon and heading for the door, opening it.

On the porch was Ann, the vivacious redheaded daughter of Doug, the innkeeper. "Hi, Claire," she smirked. Spotting Cliff inside, she yelled, "What are you doing, Cliff?!"

Cliff looked scared and nervous. "Um, I'm fixing this floorboard?"

"You're living with Claire now? What is going on?" Ann bellowed angrily.

Cliff flinched, and then cocked his head. "Hey, it was your dad that kicked me out when I ran out of money."

"Well, Dad has a business to run, after all. You dummy! What, is she your girlfriend?"

Cliff shook his head wildly, his ponytail swishing from side to side. "No, it's not like that at all! Claire just hired me to work here so that I wouldn't have to leave town!"

Ann looked Claire up and down. "Oh, that was reeeeal nice of you," she sneered. "Well, whatever. You guys just play house then." Ann stormed off into the night.

Claire closed the door and turned around to Cliff, scrunching up her nose.

Cliff sighed. "I'm sorry about that, Claire."

Claire went back to cooking dinner. "Is she your girlfriend?"

"I don't know," Cliff mumbled. Claire's heart sank. "She wants me to be, but all she ever does is yell at me." That made Claire feel a little bit better.

"Well, dinner's ready. Let's just hope that's our last visitor of the night. I can't take any more drama!"

Cliff rolled his eyes. "Me neither!"


	3. Friends and Enemies

Elli and Claire sipped tea in the Doctor's study. Claire looked across at her best friend. Elli was a pretty girl, with short, ruffled brown hair and sparkling brown eyes. What really made her beautiful was her friendly, caring personality. Claire jokingly called her "Mama-chan" or "little mama" when she was acting particularly motherly. Elli would pout and stick out her tongue. "Don't call me that!" she'd say. "You're making me feel old!"

Elli looked across at her and sighed. "I wish that you hadn't made a mortal enemy out of the innkeeper's daughter! I like going there. Now we have to drink tea in Doctor's stuffy old study."

Claire sheepishly smiled. "Sorry about that! Man, is she a firecracker or what?" Claire had already recounted the previous night's events to Elli.

"That's an understatement. You don't know Ann like I do. When we were kids, she had a crush on Rick, and when he gave me a kiss while we were all playing, her head almost exploded and she tried to pull all of my hair out!" Elli pointed to her scalp. "It's never been the same…that's why I have to keep it short."

Claire gaped at her. "I-I-is that true?" She started to get really scared at the idea of having this volatile girl as her enemy.

Elli burst out in laughter. "No! I'm just kidding. About the hair part anyway. The rest is true. She did get really mad and threw a clump of dirt at me. But we were four years old! I doubt she will be pulling your hair or throwing stuff at you over Cliff."

Claire still looked uneasy. Elli gave her a sly look. "So, speaking of that, how's it coming along?"

Claire sighed. "Geez, Elli. He's been living with me for two days. Nothing is happening."

Elli stuck her tongue out at Claire. "Wimp. If I were you, I'd already have been all over him."

Claire cocked an eyebrow at Elli. "Liar! You live here with Doctor and you haven't tried anything with him!"

Elli mused this. "True…but that's different. Doctor is older and sophisticated. I'm trying to get HIM to pursue ME. It would be more fun that way."

"Good luck with that," Claire said, sipping her tea.

"I need more than luck," Elli groaned. "The man is clueless! I've dropped hints, flirted, baked him special presents (oh, and all I got for that was a lecture on how bad cake frosting is for your health) and tried everything I could think of. He gets all red and stammers, but he doesn't get the picture."

Claire shrugged. "Maybe you'll just have to pursue him."

Elli shook her head. "Uh uh. No way. I can hold out. One day. One day he will sweep me up in his big strong arms and whisk me away to make love to me passionately!" Elli gestured wildly with her hands, almost upsetting her teacup in her excitement. Claire giggled as she grabbed at it.

Just at that moment, the Doctor himself walked in, smiling. "What's all the giggling about, girls?"

Elli flushed and tried to act nonchalant. "Oh, just girl stuff. You know, getting swept away in some man's arms and all that." She smiled innocently at him.

"Ah, that's good. You two enjoy your girl time." He smiled at them and walked out again.

Once he was far enough away, Elli turned to Claire and mock swooned. "Oh! You see? He's the epitome of tall, dark, and clueless."

Claire laughed and finished up her tea. "I better get back home. I feel almost guilty having so much free time, but Cliff is a machine."

Elli smirked. "But is he a…love machine?"

Claire balled up her napkin and threw it at Elli, who deftly ducked it. "You and your dirty mind," she groaned.

Claire walked down the road, making sure to bypass the inn so as not to run into the angry red head. Her plan failed though, as she nearly barreled into Ann coming out of the supermarket.

Ann glared at her. "Hello, Claire," she said icily.

Claire sighed and stuffed her hands in her pockets. "Come on, Ann," Claire mumbled. "I'm not your enemy. And hey, if I hadn't given Cliff the job, he would have had to leave town, you know? So what are you so mad at?"

Ann's face wavered for a second, then she scowled again. "You. I'm mad at you and your sneaky little blonde self." Claire looked startled. "You know what you're doing, inviting him into your house. I know you like him too. But I met him first, and it's not fair!"

Claire groaned. "Oh, now you're just acting like a little kid."

"I am not!" Ann yelled, stomping her foot. She suddenly became aware that other people were watching. Rick and Karen were sitting on their usual bench in front of the supermarket, a look of amusement on both their faces. Ann scowled at Claire one more time, and then stormed off in the direction of the inn.

Claire turned to Rick and Karen. "Sorry about that."

Karen just laughed and clapped her hands. "I thought I was going to see a catfight this morning! Catfight over Cliff!" She made yowling cat noises and slashed her hands like claws through the air.

Claire scratched the back of her neck nervously. "It wasn't all that…she's just getting all worked up over nothing."

Rick nodded. "That's just Ann. She had a crush on me when we were kids, and she'd get so mad at anyone who would smile at me, even the teacher! She got quite a few detentions for that!"

Claire laughed. "Well, see you guys later." They waved at each other and Claire headed back to the farm.

Claire and Cliff talked as she cooked dinner. Claire carefully avoided the subject of Ann.

Cliff pushed his plate away, satisfied. "You make the best curry, Claire." He smiled shyly. "That's my favorite food, you know."

"Oh, really? That's my favorite food too!" Claire responded.

"Really? Okay, then, what's your favorite dessert?"

Claire thought for a minute. "Mmm… coconut ice cream."

Cliff mused this. "I've never had that. Well, my favorite dessert is chocolate mousse. Actually, anything chocolate!"

Claire grinned. "I'll have to remember that. Okay, I like this game. What else? Oh!" She clasped her hands together. "My favorite fruit is watermelon. What about you?"

Cliff didn't hesitate. "Grapes!"

Claire nodded. "I like grapes too. I like all fruit, really. The only thing I don't like is grapefruit." She wrinkled her nose at the thought.

"Me neither!" Cliff exclaimed. "It's so bitter! How can anyone eat it! And they always say..."

"Just put some sugar on it!" Claire finished.

Cliff laughed. "Exactly! Like that helps. Then it's just bitter AND sweet!"

Cliff and Claire sat at the dinner table for two hours, laughing and comparing likes and dislikes. They finally noticed the time and started getting ready for bed.

As Claire lay in bed that night, she thought to herself that it was going to be pretty fun having Cliff around.


	4. Winter Thanksgiving

"Okay, done," Claire said to herself as she tied the little piece of red ribbon in a bow.

Today was Winter Thanksgiving, a day when girls gave chocolates to boys. This was a tradition in Mineral Town, one that Claire was celebrating for the first time. Elli had given her the heads up on it. Doctor, the unwitting recipient of Elli's desires, would be receiving some special supposedly "aphrodisiac chocolates." Claire giggled at the thought of the stoic Doctor opening up that special package.

Claire had bought a piece of chocolate from Jeff's supermarket the day before in preparation. She wrapped it up in a white handkerchief, and tied the bundle up with a piece of ribbon she found in a drawer.

She nervously went out onto the farm, looking for Cliff. She found him in the barn, just finishing up shearing a sheep. He wiped his hands on a towel hanging from the wall and turned to her, smiling questioningly.

Claire's heart was beating so fast, she thought she was going to pass out. "Steady, now," she told herself. "This is a harmless tradition. It's no big deal, it's no big deal, it's no big deal…."

"It's no big deal!" she blurted out, immediately wanting to kick herself. Cliff looked puzzled as she handed him the chocolate.

Cliff blushed and stammered, "W-w-what's this?"

Claire blushed as well, looking down at the ground, digging her shoe into the hay beneath them. "It's Winter Thanksgiving today…you know…girls give chocolates to boys." She laced and unlaced her fingers over and over. "I'm sorry, it was a stupid idea."

"N-n-no, I didn't mean that," Cliff stuttered shyly as he picked nervously at the package. He smiled wide. "Thank you. I really appreciate it."

Suddenly Ann waltzed into the barn. She was slightly out of breath. "There you are, Cliff!" the cheerful redhead shouted. She ran up to him and thrust a bundle into his hands. "Happy Winter Thanksgiving!"

Cliff looked bewildered as he untied the cloth wrapping the bundle. It opened up to reveal a beautifully decorated chocolate cake. Cliff just gaped at it. "Uh, thank you, Ann. This must have been a lot of work." He glanced surreptitiously at Claire, who was staring at the ground with a look of utter defeat on her face. She turned abruptly and ran out of the barn. As she hurried off, she heard Ann's voice trailing after her, "What's HER problem?"

Claire ran as fast as she could back to the farmhouse, tears stinging in her eyes. She had felt embarrassed at her gesture before, now she just felt humiliated. The pathetic little piece of chocolate she had given him, wrapped in an old handkerchief with a sorry little piece of ribbon – what a joke! Compared to Ann's masterpiece, it was nothing. They were probably laughing at her right now. She barreled through the front door and threw herself on her bed face down. The tears were coming hard now and she sobbed hopelessly into her pillow.

She froze when she heard the front door creak open. She heard careful footsteps, and then Cliff appeared in her doorway. She wiped her face hurriedly with her back turned to him and then spun around, trying to act like nothing was wrong. "Oh, hi, Cliff," she tried to say nonchalantly, but it ended up coming out in a broken squeak.

Cliff looked worried. "I'm sorry about that, Claire…"

Claire shook her head a little too vigorously and shrugged. "About what?"

"About Ann. She just won't quit," he sighed uncomfortably.

Claire must have looked pretty miserable, because Cliff started sputtering nervously. "B-b-but, I mean, you know I don't feel that way about her." He scratched his neck. "She's kind of scary, actually. Loud, too."

Claire couldn't help but laugh at that. She wiped her eyes and looked up apologetically. "I'm sorry too, for just running off like that. I just…" She paused. How could she say this without sounding like she was obsessed with him, and seem as scary as Ann? "I just felt embarrassed because the chocolate I gave you was kind of lame. I can't bake like Ann," she mumbled, tracing her fingers absentmindedly over the comforter.

Cliff laughed. "Oh, man…you don't know? Ann is a terrible baker. She can decorate it up all nice, but the cake inside is nasty. I found that out the hard way while staying at the inn. Doug makes all the food there. I, ah, I actually put the cake in the waste bin in the barn as soon as Ann left."

Claire laughed. "Oh, that's hilarious!"

Cliff's face softened. "So, don't cry, okay? I don't like to see you cry. I love the chocolate you gave me." He chuckled. "At least I know it's edible!"


	5. Mother's Hill

Claire looked out the window at the moon. "Oh, it's so beautiful tonight."

Cliff smiled at her shyly. "Do you want to go for a walk?" Claire nodded in agreement, and they bundled up and headed out.

They walked away from the farm, past Gotz's shop and the path to the Goddess Pond. They continued walking towards the Kappa Lake, which was frozen solid. They paused for a moment, staring out over the glittering ice.

Claire pointed. "They say that there's a hidden cave leading to a mine full of jewels on that little island."

Cliff chuckled. "That sounds like a fairy tale to me."

"It might be true." Claire wrinkled her nose. "But you'd have to be crazy to walk out over that ice!"

They trailed along the path up to Mother's Hill. Cliff brushed the snow off of a large, flat boulder, and they sat side by side in silence.

"Mother's Hill…" Cliff's voice broke the quiet air. "Why do they call it that?"

Claire shrugged. "I don't know, really."

Cliff sighed, and Claire glanced at him. He had slumped a little, looking miserable. "Mother…do you have a mother, Claire?"

Claire mused this for a moment. "Well, yes, technically in the way that everyone has a mother. You have to be born somehow, after all. But no, I don't have a mother any more." Claire nudged the snow with her shoe. "My mother died a few years ago. My dad kind of went wild after that, and I lost touch with him."

Cliff looked at her quizzically. "Wild?"

Claire laughed softly, waving one hand. "No, not wild like crazy. Wild like he was suddenly free…" Claire's eyes darkened, but then she shrugged. "He's a grown man though. He can have as many girlfriends as he wants. But I guess it disturbed me a little, to see my dad so happy without my mother. I guess," Claire took a deep breath. "I guess I kind of lost faith in men with that. You know, like deep down all men just want to have fun, and they're really just animals."

Cliff looked startled. "You really think that about all men?"

Claire sighed. "I don't want to believe it. I guess I need someone to prove me wrong." She stared out over the frozen land, then looked at Cliff. "All right, your turn. What about your family?"

Cliff suddenly looked miserable again. He was quiet for a few minutes, and then finally spoke. "It was always just me, my sister and my mother growing up. I never knew my father. We lived in a pretty small village, even smaller than Mineral Town. Once I turned 18, I was out of there. I wanted to see 'bigger and better' things." Cliff laughed darkly. "I did see lots of wonderful things, but I saw a lot of bad things too. When I got my fill of the world and got homesick, I went back to my village."

Cliff paused, staring in his lap, his breath clouding in front of him in the frozen air. "The house I grew up in was abandoned. My mother had died unexpectedly while I was away, and my sister had gone off. To where, I don't know." Cliff's voice broke and his eyes welled up with tears. "I was so foolish to just run off like that. Now I have no family left at all."

Claire's heart was breaking for Cliff. She scooted closer to him and put her hand on his. She didn't say anything, just sat. She had a feeling what he needed right now was someone just to be there, to not go away.

They stayed there like that for some time, then finally Cliff said "Are you ready to go home?" Claire nodded, and Cliff took her by the hand and stood up. Claire was surprised but pleased, and they walked home hand in hand, Claire all aflutter with excitement and nervousness.


	6. Warmth

Chapter Six - Warmth

The next evening, Claire and Cliff hustled around the farm, trying to get everything ready. It was predicted to be the worst snowstorm of the year. Gotz had already gone door to door warning everyone. Claire herded the livestock into pens in the center of the barn, and Cliff nailed boards over the windows. Claire put extra food in the troughs just in case they couldn't get out to feed them the next day.

Finally, they finished and ate dinner before settling down for the night.

At about midnight, Claire awoke. The storm howled outside, and suddenly the power went out. It was already dark in the house, but it became very quiet as all the appliances, including the heater, silenced their hums. Claire fell back asleep, but woke up not longer later, shivering with cold.

Claire could hear soft footsteps coming towards her room.

"Claire?" Cliff's voice called out of the darkness.

"Hey," she replied.

"I guess the power went out." Cliff said. "It's, um, really cold out here….do you have any extra blankets?"

Her eyes grew accustomed to the darkness and she could make him out in the doorway, shifting his weight uneasily from side to side. She sat up in bed, hugging her knees. "I do…I wonder if it's going to come back on?" she mused. "It's going to be record breaking cold tonight, and that's going to be miserable with no heater." She swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up, shivering. She moved forward towards the small fireplace. "Who knows why this house has a fireplace in the bedroom but not in the living room." she said as she kneeled, fumbling for the matches. She got the fire lit and it flared and crackled soothingly. She looked up at Cliff. "Well, um…I really doubt the power is going to come back on, if it hasn't yet…and it's going to get even colder out in the living room, even with more blankets…this will be the only warm room in the house…" she trailed off.

"I can sleep on the floor in here," Cliff said.

Claire's face grew hot, and not just from the surging fire in front of her. "No, I don't really think that would be comfortable, and it might be dangerous having blankets so close to the fireplace."

Understanding lit up Cliff's face, and he suddenly looked both frightened and excited. "Oh. Oh!" he said.

She smiled sheepishly at him. "It won't be that bad," she said. "It's a queen size bed, and I promise not to kick."

"Right," he said, staring at the bed.

Claire stood up. "Well…" she cleared her throat, then walked back over to the bed and climbed in. Cliff stood immobile in the doorway, sheer terror all over his face. She patted the bed beside her. "Come on, I said I won't kick you," she giggled nervously, trying to hide how excited and scared she was.

He walked stiffly towards the bed, and climbed in on the other side. He slipped underneath the blankets and sheets quickly. "Ah," he said. "Your bed is really soft."

She laughed a little. "Well, it has to be better than that miserable couch! And I have jersey sheets. They're the best."

They both settled down into the bed.

"Good night, Cliff," she said.

"Good night, Claire," he responded.

She didn't think she'd ever be able to fall asleep. They lay in the semi darkness, both extremely nervous and excited. She couldn't believe she actually had him in her bed! But she was afraid to try anything, because if he rejected her it would be terrible. Plus, that would make this cold night all that much more miserable.

She finally fell asleep, only to be woken up in a fright as a sharp, eerie wind blew loudly past the window. She cried out in terror, coming halfway upright, then laid back down, shaking and whimpering. It woke Cliff up and he reached out to her. His warm, slightly rough hand stroked her forearm soothingly.

"Shhhh…It's all right, Claire," he whispered.

She laughed a little and gasped. "I'm sorry," she whispered back. "Noises in the night always scare me."

"It's okay. I'm right here," he replied.

Her heart leapt! How good it felt to hear him say that! Claire sighed contentedly, and as if her body was acting of its own volition, she rolled forward and snuggled up to him. She heard his sudden intake of breath and his body stiffened, then it relaxed and he wrapped his other arm around her.

They lay like that, and she just listened to his heartbeat and his breathing. He moved his hand up and stroked her hair, and she couldn't stop a little moan from escaping her lips. She could feel his heart start to beat faster. She tilted her head up at him, and she could just barely see his eyes glittering in the firelight. He bowed his head down , and her heart started fluttering. She could feel his warm, sweet breath on her cheek, and she turned towards him. Their lips met, and it was more wonderful than she had hoped it would be. His lips were warm and soft. They kissed gently at first, soft presses back and forth. Then she could feel his lips parting, and she parted hers too. His tongue very gently crossed her lips, and then he explored her mouth. He tasted so very sweet, like oranges.

As they kissed, Cliff's hands stroked Claire's hair. Claire reached out and ran her fingers through his long, silky ponytail. Cliff pulled away from her mouth slightly and kissed down her jaw line to her neck. Claire moaned and arched her back with pleasure as he breathed roughly in her ear, and then left a trail of kisses down her neck. He kissed the curve of her shoulder, his hands now at her waist, sliding her shirt up over her stomach. Claire gasped as she felt his hands on her bare skin. He gently cupped one of her breasts in his hand and kneaded it slowly, as he continued to kiss her neck and shoulder. Claire just moaned and squirmed in ecstasy. Cliff then slid his hand down her side, over the curves of her waist and hips.

His hands slid over her thighs. She sighed heavily as his lips brushed her ear. Her fingers ran through his long hair. It felt like her heart was beating between her legs. She wanted more than anything for him to touch her. And as if she willed it, his left hand moved from the outside of her thigh to the inside. She could feel his fingers shaking as he placed them between her legs. Claire moaned softly at the pleasurable sensation of his fingers against the soft fabric. He touched her softly at first, and she moved her hips towards him to show that she liked it. She heard the sharp intake of his breath, and he pressed more firmly. His lips met hers and they kissed as she moved her hips rhythmically against his hand. She reached her hand around and brought it to his stomach, then slid down to his boxers. She blushed as she felt the tip of his hardness straining against the thin material. She gasped. He moaned and pressed his hand even more firmly into her, then quickly brought his hand up to the waistband of her pajama pants and slid his whole hand down the front, so that now his fingers were actually making contact with her skin. Claire was already soaking wet, and Cliff sighed in pleasure at feeling this. He traced his fingers in the wetness, then carefully slid one finger in. Claire cried out in pleasure, and Cliff caught her mouth again in a passionate kiss.

She reached under the waistband of his boxers and encircled her fingers around him. He groaned and breathed heavily on her neck. Then he slipped a second finger inside of her, thrusting in the same rhythm that she was stroking him with. She gripped him tighter. They moved together as he rolled on top of her. She found his mouth again with hers and they kissed passionately, fervently.

He brought his hand away from her, and she felt disappointed for a second until she realized he was removing her pajama pants. He slid them off carefully but quickly, capturing her panties at the same time. The cold winter air met her skin and she gasped, so he pulled the covers over his back, draping them and keeping the heat in. He held himself up with one arm, as he pulled his own pants off with the other, with her help. His hardness was suddenly free, she realized, when her hand brushed against it as she brought her hands back up. He groaned as she gripped him, stroking swiftly. His hand found her again and he traced his fingers between her legs, dancing in the silky wetness. She moaned and whimpered with desire as he slipped two fingers inside her, kissing down her chest at the same time, his warm mouth finding a nipple and suckling it gently. She cried out with pleasure, and gripped him even more tightly. She spread her thighs as wide as she could, and guided him inside of her.

He pushed in quite easily because she was so wet, and they both cried out in ecstasy at the initial rush of feeling. Breathing heavily, he began to thrust slowly at first, then with increasing speed. She pushed her hips up against him, tightening her muscles around him. He went all the way inside, then began to grind against her. She responded by grinding back, gripping him inside of her. She could feel the heat building up, and she pressed her hands on his lower back to put more pressure where she needed it. Her breath became jagged and she felt her whole body get hot and then cold as she exploded with pleasure, crying out his name over and over. Her passion brought him over the threshold as well, and he screamed out her name and climaxed, spilling inside of her.

They lay there, breathing heavily and holding each other, their heat radiating under the covers. He brought his lips to hers. "Oh, Claire, I love you," he breathed. "I love you, too, Cliff" she whispered back. He pulled out of her and rolled over. She snuggled up to him, and they fell asleep holding each other.

Morning broke, birds chirping, and the sunlight streamed in the window. She woke up feeling absolutely amazing. She rolled over and reached out, but…Cliff wasn't there. Did I dream all that, she wondered? Then she heard the soft padding of feet in the hallway and Cliff appeared. He smiled bashfully at her.


	7. Elli's Secret

Claire was a little nervous. What had happened last night was wonderful, and she honestly wanted it again…and again. She had rummaged through her underwear drawer, but lady farmers that live alone only have practical underwear. She wanted to wear something sexy. So, while Cliff was tending to the cows, she ran desperately into town. She burst through the Clinic door, surprising Elli and the Doctor.

"Oh my God, are you all right, Claire? Are you hurt?" The Doctor rushed forward, asking a million questions.

Claire blushed deeply, suddenly embarrassed at her eagerness. "I just came to see Elli," she said sheepishly.

Doctor arched one eyebrow. "All righty…" He walked back behind his desk and went back to reading the huge medical tome in front of him. Elli dragged Claire by the elbow into the patient area and pulled the curtain. "What's up, Claire?" Elli's brown eyes sparkled and burned with intrigue.

Claire took a deep breath. "Cliff and I made love last night," she whispered quickly.

"You and Cliff did it??" Elli squealed at the top of her lungs, making Claire clamp a hand over her mouth.

"Shhh!" Claire admonished. They stood silent for a moment, Elli squirming and bugging out her eyes. Doctor cleared his throat loudly from the next room, and the sound of footsteps walking away and a door closing signaled that he had discreetly left the room to let them talk.

Claire took her hand away from Elli's mouth. Elli waved her hands around. "When? Why? How? Tell me everything!"

Claire blushed. "It just kind of happened." She told the whole story of what had happened the night before.

She paused as Elli gaped at her. "Girl, you are bold. Asking him to get in bed with you!"

Claire squealed. "I didn't just say, 'Hey, hop in bed with me' for no reason! It was freezing cold and the power was out and it was the only thing that made sense."

Elli stared at Claire, shaking her head and biting her lip before bursting out into laughter. "So you made your own heat under the covers!"

Claire finally giggled herself. They both stopped to catch their breath and Claire's face got serious. "Elli, it was amazing. I want to be with him."

"Well, good for you. No reason why you can't be a couple. I guess this makes you guys 'boyfriend and girlfriend' now."

"I would hope so!" Claire said, worrying for a moment about if Cliff wanted it to happen again or not. "Oh yeah, he said 'I love you' before we went to sleep."

Elli grinned. "It sounds good to me."

Claire got a dreamy look on her face at she started remembering details for a moment, then she shook back to attention. "Listen, Elli, this is sort of weird…but…I need something sexy to wear. All I have is plain old cotton panties, because I didn't have any reason to have anything better. Last night it was too dark for him to see what I was wearing, but he'll probably get in bed with me with the lights on this time and I don't want him to see lame old granny panties."

Elli pursed her lips and nodded. "Good point. I have just what you need." She took Claire upstairs into her bedroom. She turned swiftly to Claire before opening the top dresser drawer. "You know you are my best friend for me to do this for you, right?"

Claire nodded solemnly. "You're my best friend too, Elli."

Elli smiled. "Right, then."

Elli pulled the drawer open and Claire just gaped. It was full of panties, bras, and other pieces of lingerie, in every color, style, and texture imaginable. "What is all this, Elli? I didn't think that you and the Doctor had done it yet."

"Not YET," Elli mused while sorting through the drawer. "But you know, it gives a girl a little extra kick her in step to be wearing this kind of stuff, even under this starched up old nurse's uniform. It's like you've got this secret nobody knows. It's kind of thrilling." She turned a serious eye on Claire. "You have to give it some thought. If you two are going to make this a regular habit, then you'll need lots of this stuff. Can't have him seeing you in the same thing over and over." She pulled a few pieces out of the drawer. "I'll lend you four sets, plus two nighties. This is only until you get your own stuff, okay?" Claire nodded. "We can go on Wednesday to Forget Me Not Valley. My friend Muffy has the hook up with the best mail order lingerie." Elli told her.

Claire sat on Elli's bed and looked through the things Elli was lending her. A black bra and panties made of a soft jersey material that actually felt comfortable, with soft lace trimming the edges. A set of bra and panties in pink satin with black lace trimming. A blue satin thong with navy blue piping. A red pair of panties made of some kind of mesh. A silk nightie in red with black lace, and a white satin nightie. "I'd start with that one if I were you," Elli said, motioning to the last item. "Don't want to blow his mind right away."

Claire nodded. "But what do I wear under it?"

"Well, you could wear the blue thong, or, " Elli grinned, "even better, nothing at all."

Claire blushed and giggled. "Okay, I better be getting back. Thank you so much! I majorly owe you one."

Elli folded up the items and put them in a plain brown paper bag. "There you go, all secret. Oh yeah, and before I forget...not to be all nagging and motherly on you, but are you still taking birth control?"

Claire nodded vigorously. "Oh yeah, they help so much with preventing heavy periods and cramps, I'd never stop."

Elli sighed with relief. "Good, I didn't want you getting pregnant and ruining all your fun right away." She patted Claire on the head in a joking manner. "OK, you're a good girl. Go have fun!"

Claire headed back for the farm, clutching her bag of "goodies", her mind swimming. "I hope he does want to keep doing it," she thought to herself. But grinning, she remembered that he had been pretty into it the night before. She was pretty sure he wanted her again.

She hummed to herself as she got closer to the farmhouse. Cliff was just coming around the corner, carrying a big load of firewood. Claire waved at him awkwardly, and he smiled back from behind the pile of wood. She opened up the door and went in, hurrying into the bedroom and unpacking her treasures into her own underwear drawer. She straightened up the bedroom a bit, and then went in the kitchen to make dinner. She decided to make curry, his favorite. Couldn't hurt to butter him up a bit, she reasoned with herself.

Claire and Cliff were both on pins and needles during the whole meal. They made rapid small talk and laughed a little too much at each other's jokes. Cliff went on and on about how her curry was the best he'd ever eaten. After dinner was over, Claire cleared away the dishes while Cliff got a shower. Cliff came out in his pajamas, and sat on the couch. Claire took her turn in the shower. She dried her hair afterwards, and then slipped quickly into the bedroom with the towel wrapped around her. She put on the white satin nightie that Elli had recommended, also going with nothing underneath as Elli had recommended. She then wrapped her bathrobe around that.

Claire went out into the living room. She was dismayed to see Cliff stretched out on the couch, under the covers, just like always. He must have seen the look on her face, because he sat up quickly.

"Oh hi, I…uh, well, I didn't know…you know, whether or not…I mean, I didn't want to assume…" He trailed off.

Claire giggled and blushed. "Well, if you want to… I mean, it's fine with me… if you want to sleep in my bed again tonight." She blushed deeply. "And every night…"

Cliff looked so happy and relieved. He jumped up from the couch and followed Claire into the bedroom. He slipped under the covers and looked over at Claire. Claire shyly looked down at the ground and untied her bathrobe, letting it fall to the floor. She brought her gaze up to Cliff, and he looked awestruck, his mouth slightly open. "Oh my god…" he whispered.

She smiled shyly and walked over to the bed, slipping in beside him. Cliff reached over and stroked her long, golden blond hair, tucking a stray strand behind her ear. "Claire, you are so beautiful."

Claire blushed as he leaned in and kissed her, gently at first, but then with increasing intensity, with a deep need behind the kisses. Cliff broke away from her mouth to kiss her hotly down her neck. Claire had to bite her lip to keep from squealing. Cliff kept kissing down the slope of her shoulder, easing one of the silky straps off. He kissed her down the other side of her neck, and eased that strap down as well. The silky garment fluttered down, exposing her small, perky breasts. Cliff moaned a little at the sight, and kissed all along her collarbone, then moved his mouth down to her chest as Claire leaned back, sighing.

Cliff took one pert nipple in his mouth as his hand covered the other one, rolling his thumb over that nipple. Claire moaned and squirmed underneath him, exciting Cliff and causing him to kiss her body with quicker, more fervent kisses. He took his hands to her waist, and then slid his hands down to her thighs. Then he slid them up underneath the nightie. He gasped, blushing as he pulled his face away from her. "You're not wearing any…."

Claire blushed as well. "Oh, Claire," Cliff sighed, as he eased the nightie up over her hips. Claire spread her thighs slightly.

She then started worrying. Last night it was too dark to see anything…would he like the way she looked naked? Would he think she was ugly down there? Her worries were quickly abated as she felt Cliff's warm breath on the very highest part of her inner thigh, and then felt his tongue move over her. Claire moaned and looked down at him. His long, silky brown ponytail hung down his back, still slightly wet and glistening from his shower. He slid his tongue all over her, and then gingerly slipped one finger inside her. She cried out with pleasure as he pumped in and out, adding a second finger. She moaned, whimpered, and writhed against his hand. Between moments of having her eyes tightly shut, overwhelmed with pleasure, she caught glimpses of him looking up at her, seemingly amazed at how much she was enjoying it.

Cliff shifted his body to lay next to her, their bodies close together. He put his hand between her legs and she clamped it between her thighs. She writhed against him, slick with desire. Suddenly, without warning, she came against his hand, crying out his name. He groaned and pulled her closer, kissing her deeply, as she shuddered with the waves of aftershock.

After she had recovered a little, Claire pulled away from Cliff. She moved her naked body on top of him, kissing him first on the mouth, then down his neck. She helped him out of his shirt, and kissed down his chest. His physique was really amazing. He was lean, with muscle in all the right places. His stomach was flat as could be. Claire kissed a trail down his stomach. She then hooked her fingers and thumbs into the waistband of his pajamas to remove those as well. Cliff gasped and breathed in the air roughly as his erection was exposed.

Claire just stared in wonder for a moment. She hadn't gotten to see it the night before, and as silly as it sounded, well, it was beautiful. Cliff looked down at her, biting his lip, anticipation all over his face. She looked up at him, and without breaking his gaze, she encircled her fingers around him and brought her mouth down to meet him. He gasped and whined as she took him in her mouth. She liked the way his skin tasted….a little sweet, a little salty. Claire twirled her tongue around the tip, then moved her whole mouth down, taking in as much as she could.

"Oh, Claire, it feels so good…" Cliff gasped out. "Oh… ohhhh… you're going to…make me…Ahhh!" Cliff cried out in what sounded like pain, thrusting his hips frantically. Claire's mouth was suddenly filled with a hot rush , which she swallowed in surprise. She looked up at Cliff, her eyebrows raised.

His face was blissful, but then his brow knotted with worry. "Ahhh…I'm sorry…" He ran his fingers through the front of his hair.

Claire carefully removed her lips from him. "No, it was okay…" She moved up next to him, snuggling into him. He pulled the covers over them, and they fell asleep like that.


	8. Starry Night

Claire woke up early on the morning of the Starry Night Festival

Claire woke up early on the morning of the Starry Night Festival. She was excited about getting everything ready to make the celebration really special. She lay in bed for a moment and ran over her plans in her mind. Curry bread, curry rice, and chocolate mousse. Claire smiled at that. She was going to attempt that for the first time. It shouldn't be that hard. Sasha at the supermarket had given her a simple recipe and directed her to the correct ingredients she would need.

Claire turned over in bed and snuggled on Cliff, who was still sleeping. She found his hand and laced her fingers into his. Cliff pulled her hand over him and placed it on a very hard spot on his body. He groaned. "Oh, Claire…it aches…Claire…"

Claire was a little shocked and looked at him, surprised, but then she realized that he was still sound asleep, and he was talking in his sleep. Still…

"We can't have you hurting," she said, giggling, and disappeared under the covers.

Cliff's eyes flew wide open and he was suddenly awake. "Hey! Whoa!" He picked up the edge of the covers and peeked down at what Claire was doing, then melted back into the bed, sighing in pleasure.

A few minutes later, Claire reappeared above the covers, and cuddled up to Cliff, who was trembling with satisfaction. "Now that's…the best way to start a day," he gasped.

Claire just kissed him on the cheek happily and jumped out of bed, leaving him to recover for a while. Preparations for the festival went smoothly. Claire hummed and buzzed around the kitchen. Finally, Cliff appeared from out of the bedroom after a short, post-recovery nap, looking refreshed and cheerful. He went out onto the farm to get all the chores done.

The day went by quickly, and before long, it was sundown. Claire had been relieved that Ann had not come by to ask Cliff to come to the inn and spend the Starry Night Festival with her. Ann didn't know that Cliff and Claire were serious now. As far as Claire knew, only Elli, and maybe the doctor (Claire giggled remembering that) knew. But, Ann had suddenly stopped glaring at Claire when she ran into her, so Claire guessed she had finally given up

.Cliff had returned to the house about an hour before and gotten cleaned up, and was dressed quite nicely. He sat at the table in anticipation as Claire set the dishes of completed foods on the table. Claire sat down too and they ate. Cliff loved the curry bread, and of course the curry rice. When they had finished with the main course, Claire said, "Okay, now the big finish!" and leapt up from the table, hurrying over to the fridge. She returned with two beautiful glass dishes of chocolate mousse.

Cliff smiled widely. "All right! Chocolate mousse!" He ate it energetically, practically licking his dish clean, and Claire gave him a few spoonfuls of hers as well. When the meal was over, Cliff leaned back in his chair and sighed. "That was wonderful, Claire."

Claire looked at him slyly. "What? The dinner or this morning?"

Cliff blushed and grinned. "Heh heh…both."

They got the dishes cleaned up and then bundled up to go out for the traditional Starry Night walk. Along the way, they ran into some of the other couples in town. Karen and Rick were cuddling on a tree stump outside of Gotz' shed. They waved at each other. Karen pointed and raised an eyebrow at Cliff and Claire's intertwined hands. "Oh, so it all worked out after all! No catfights necessary, eh?" Karen chuckled.

Cliff looked at Claire quizzically. Claire just laughed nervously.

Rick's face lit up and he motioned for them to come closer. "Oh, speaking of that…why don't you take a look on the other side of this building?" He laughed quietly.

Claire and Cliff looked at each other, shrugged, and walked around Gotz' shed, peeking around the corner. There, on a snow covered pile of wood, sat Ann and Harris, the local constable. Ann was holding a basket in her lap, and feeding Harris a forkful of some kind of baked good. Harris struggled to keep a smile on his face as he chewed it, but he managed to swallow it, and laughed happily, telling Ann that it was wonderful. Claire snickered to herself, remembering Cliff's tale of Ann's horrendous cakes.

Claire pulled Cliff out from behind the shed by the hand. He was initially reluctant to be seen by Ann, standing immobile as she pulled at him, a look of panic on his face. Claire whispered, "It's okay," and Cliff sighed and followed her.

When Ann saw them, she waved cheerfully, no hint of the jealous banshee she was made out to be. "Happy Starry Night!" she yelled. Cliff winced a little bit as Ann's already loud voice echoed against the snow. Claire nodded. "Happy Starry Night to you as well. What are you eating there?" Claire asked, biting her lip to keep from laughing.

Ann beamed. "It's my special triple pineapple surprise cake! Well," she paused, "It's really quite a surprise because two pages got stuck together in the cookbook and I poured beef gravy into the batter by mistake!" Harris blanched and gagged. Ann punched his arm. "Dummy! I scooped most of it out!"

Claire smiled broadly. "Well, we'll leave you two alone then…" Cliff and Claire quickly made their exit as Ann bullied at Harris lovingly, and he sheepishly took every bit of it.

Claire and Cliff walked up to Rick and Karen again. Rick smiled and laughed. "What did you think about that?"

Claire sighed in relief. "I'm just happy she shifted her focus off of Cliff. I REALLY did not want to be her rival!"

Rick shrugged. "That's Ann for you. When she likes a guy, she likes him hard, but she finds new crushes pretty quickly. They're actually a pretty good match," he mused. "Harris has been so lonely since Aja, Duke and Manna's daughter, left town. She was his girlfriend, you know. Ann's perfect for him because she has the same bossy personality that Aja had."

Claire laughed. "I don't know if he will survive her cooking, though."

Rick grinned. "Oh, that. Well, it's better than the mud pies that she made ME eat when she liked me! And Harris has a tough stomach. He'll be all right."

The two couples waved goodbye to each other as Cliff and Claire set off, continuing their walk. They walked up the slope to the Goddess Pond. They walked around, admiring the glassy, sparkling ice that had formed over everything, making it seem like everything was made out of crystal. As they walked around the side of the hot springs, they saw Gray and Mary enjoying the Starry Night in their own way. Mary was reading to Gray out of a book that she wrote, while Gray nervously nodded and picked at the threads on his jacket.

Cliff and Claire left the Goddess Pond and headed for Kappa Lake. There, they spotted the Doctor and Elli. Doctor was holding a piece of white grass and lecturing very seriously to Elli on its medicinal properties. Elli saw Claire and rolled her eyes. Claire stifled a laugh and waved to them. They waved back. Poor Elli. She wanted the Doctor to be romantic so badly, and here on this most romantic of nights, he was still being his serious Doctor self.

Claire and Cliff walked around to the edge of Kappa Lake, and sat on a bench there. Cliff smiled contentedly at Claire. Claire responded by resting her head on his shoulder.

Claire sighed happily. "Everybody is happy. It's nice."

Cliff squeezed her hand. "Claire, do I make you happy?"

She lifted her head and turned to look up at him lovingly.

"Very."

He looked so relieved and happy. "Good," he said, and kissed her.

Top of Form


	9. Showers

Spring had finally begun. The snow had all but melted, and Cliff hoed the ground as Claire sketched up a plan for her early summer crops. Turnips in a row going this way, and potatoes in thick patches beyond that. She kneeled and sorted through the bags of seeds she had purchased from Jeff's supermarket. Cliff paused in his work, leaned against the handle of the hoe, and wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of one gloved hand. Claire smiled at him, and he smiled back. "That's good, honey, that's enough tilled land for now," she said to him as she hoisted up the bag of turnip seeds and began planting them as she had planned.

"Phew, good!" Cliff signed and stretched. "I'm going to get a shower while you plant those."

He walked off towards the house. Claire hummed to herself and she worked. Just as she was finishing a few minutes later, it startled to sprinkle. She quickly wrapped up what she was doing as it turned into a downpour. She wiped off her hands and ran towards the house, kicking off her shoes at the door and going inside as quietly as she could.

Cliff was still in the shower. She quickly shed her own clothes and slipped surreptitiously in behind him. "Hey!" he yelled out, spinning around, surprised but pleased. She leaned forward to kiss him, the warm water splashing her face and wetting her hair. He kissed back, his hands sliding all over her body. She pulled away and grabbed the soap and washcloth, lathering it up. She soaped up his body, paying special attention to a certain body part that was growing larger with every second. He leaned heavily against the shower wall and groaned.

She dropped the soapy washcloth and let the warm water rinse his body clean, then she kneeled down in front of him. He gasped with delight, realizing her intentions. She kissed his stomach, his thighs, everywhere but right there. He groaned in frustration and then in delight as her lips found his swollen member, and she took it into her wet, warm mouth. She tasted him enthusiastically as he held onto the wall for dear life, crying out her name. The fingers of his free hand tangled into her hair, exciting her as well.

She looked up at him and their eyes met, and there was an understanding that needed no words. He reached behind him, shutting off the faucet quickly. She stood up, yanking back the shower curtain. He stretched out and grabbed two towels off the rack, passing one to her. They hurriedly dried off their bodies and hair as best they could, then raced each other to the bed. She landed on her back and he was just a moment behind, layering himself on top of her. He kissed her neck, her collarbone, lingered slightly on her breasts, then moved down her stomach. She spread her legs eagerly and he complied, burying his face in her still damp flesh.

His tongue was warm and soft, and she cried out in pleasure. He lapped at her hungrily, and then darted his tongue in and out of her. He brought one of his hands near his mouth and sucked one finger for a moment, and then plunged it deep inside of her. Claire screamed out in pleasure, thrusting her hips up at him. He eased a second finger inside, and used his other hand to rub slow tortuous circles on her sensitive nub. Her fingers dug into the sheets in pure ecstasy, her eyes closed tightly. She opened her eyes for a moment and took in the sight: his long brown hair, wet and splayed over his shoulders, his handsome face buried between her thighs, and his huge, very erect manhood standing at attention.

Claire gasped "I need you, I need you." He didn't waste a second and brought himself up to meet her, thrusting himself deep inside of her. She screamed out, moaned, and cried out his name. He groaned and pressed as deep as he could. Faster and faster he went, until he stopped abruptly, pulling out, gasping for air. "I'm too close," he whispered. Deftly she flipped him over using her thighs, a startled and pleased look on his face. Climbing on top of him, she used her thumb and forefinger to reinsert him and began grinding against him.

He looked up at her, in sheer awe. "You are so beautiful," he gasped unevenly. She clamped down on him, the pressure building up. She brought her torso down closer to him, finding his lips and kissing him sweetly, their chests pressed together as she climaxed heavily, crying out his name over and over for what seemed like hours. She collapsed against him, her head in the nook of his neck and shoulder. She breathed heavily, gasping and whispering incoherently, and planted dozens of kisses on his skin.

"How do you want me now?" she whispered shyly.

"From behind," he replied huskily, and she pulled off of him, swiftly moving in front of him on her hands and knees. He kneeled behind her and plunged into her wetness with one hard thrust. He started to grind into her, then he pulled all the way out and plunged all the way back in, over and over. She screamed out in ecstasy. She came straight up onto her knees in front of him, her arm snaking around his neck, as he exploded inside of her in giant powerful waves.

She turned her head to the side and kissed him, his lips salty from the perspiration on his face. They pulled apart carefully, and collapsed on the bed together. She cuddled up next to him.

"Oh yeah, what about those turnip seeds?" he asked, still somewhat breathless.

She giggled and nudged him. "I got them all planted."


	10. Something from the Blacksmith?

"I'm going now! I love you." Claire kissed Cliff one more time.

Cliff smiled wistfully. "I wish I could go with you, but I've got to get all this stuff straightened up."

Claire smiled back. "Don't worry," she said, hugging him around his waist. "I just have to get the fruit tree saplings, then I'll be right back. I wish Jeff would just stock them here, so that I didn't have to go all the way to Forget Me Not Valley. But yeah, Vesta's is a much more specialized shop, so I see why only she has them. And just think! We're going to have all kinds of fruit growing around the farm, and trees take such little effort compared to crops." She kissed him for the tenth time. "I love you! I'll see you later."

"I love you too," Cliff said, grinning at her.

The long hike to Forget Me Not Valley wasn't really that bad. It went rather quickly, as Claire thought about Cliff the whole time. It was so wonderful to be in love like this. She blushed and laughed at herself. They really were quite ridiculous. They couldn't keep their hands off each other, and one hot and heavy impromptu makeout session on the bench in the town square when they thought no one was around had earned them some very stern looks and annoyed throat clearings from Mayor Thomas. They had just giggled and ran off, back to the farm.

Claire arrived at Vesta's and pushed open the heavy wooden door. Vesta welcomed her warmly and they went out back to look through the saplings together. They chatted happily as Claire selected a peach, an apple, an orange, and three grape saplings, remembering that they were Cliff's favorite fruit. Vesta bundled them up in two canvas bags, which Claire slung over her shoulder and headed back towards Mineral Town, smiling and waving back at Vesta.

As Claire got back into Mineral Town, she passed Gray on the path. He managed a smile at her (he was always so gloomy) and she stopped a moment to talk.

"Oh yeah, it's Thursday, your day off," Claire said. "What have you been up to?"

Gray sighed and mumbled. "It's SUPPOSED to be my day off. Grandpa made me do some deliveries this morning. I had to go by your farmhouse, too."

Claire frowned and thought. "I don't have any tools in the shop right now, unless Cliff took something there."

Gray stared at her. "Yeah, duh, it was Cliff's order. And it wasn't a tool, it was -" He broke off suddenly, realizing he had said too much. "Oh, um, yeah, he just brought a…tool…in and I looked at it. Well, I gotta go before my grandpa calls the police on me for being gone too long." Gray mumbled to himself as he stalked off.

Claire stood in place for a moment, wondering. What was Gray acting so weird about? He had said Cliff ordered something that wasn't a tool from them…but then he changed his story.

Claire finally shrugged it off, chalking it up to Gray's general weirdness. She made her way back to the farmhouse and settled the canvas bags with the saplings in the tool shed, looking around and touching all the tools absentmindedly. She shook her head and walked up to the front door of the farmhouse.

When she opened the door, her eyes had to adjust to the dimmed lights inside. Candles were lit all over the house. Claire's stomach flip flopped as she realized something was up. Cliff appeared suddenly from their bedroom.

His face lit up with happiness. "You're home!" He rushed forward to embrace her, then kissed her over and over again.

Claire looked around. "Cliff, what is all this?"

Cliff suddenly looked nervous. He took her by the hand and guided her over to the couch, and they sat down together. "Claire, you make me so happy," he began, stammering a little. "I've never felt so safe and comfortable in my entire life. I finally found a place I belong, and it's with you."

Claire started breathing faster, her heart pounding, as she realized what was happening.

Cliff slid off the couch and kneeled in front of her, grasping her hand with one of his, and holding a small ring in the other.

"Claire, will you marry me?" His beautiful blue eyes, gazed up at her, shimmering with excitement and worry.

Claire burst into joyful tears. "Oh, yes, Cliff, yes, I'll marry you!"

Cliff sighed with relief and slid the ring onto her finger. Claire looked at it for a moment. It was a simple silver band, with a twinkling diamond in the center. "I got the materials for it in the mines, you know, that day when I took a really long time looking for bamboo shoots," Cliff laughed a little. "Then I had Gray make it for me."

Claire threw her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply. Cliff wrapped his arms tightly around her. He hoisted her up and carried her into the bedroom, where they made love.


	11. Getting Ready

When Claire woke up in the morning, Cliff was already up and doing farm chores. She dressed hurriedly, kissed him goodbye in the fields, and waved as she ran off the farm. "Got lots of planning to do!" she yelled back as she ran.

Claire rushed across the cobblestone steps leading to the Mineral Town clinic. She barreled through the door, startling Doctor greatly.

He raised an eyebrow at her quizzically. "Are you ill? What's wrong?"

Claire gasped for breath. "Where's…Elli? It's important!"

Doctor bustled into the back room and returned with Elli, who was wiping her hands on her apron. She had a worried look on her face. "Claire, what's wrong? Are you ok?"

Claire nodded enthusiastically. "I'm more than OK, Elli! Cliff proposed to me last night! I'm getting married!"

Elli squealed in delight and grasped Claire's hands as they jumped up and down. "Oh Claire, that's so wonderful!" She stopped jumping. "We have so much planning to do! When is it?"

Claire smiled guiltily. "In a week."

Elli's jaw dropped. "In just seven days??"

Claire scratched at the ground with her toe. "Well, six days actually. A week from yesterday really. We don't want to wait. I just want something simple. It's not the wedding and the party that are important to me, it's that we'll be married and I want it to happen as soon as possible."

Elli nodded resolutely. "Well, then, I'll have to work fast." She grinned at Claire and they sat down at the Clinic work table together and began writing down ideas.

Once they had gotten the basic plans written out, they walked down the path to the house of Ellen, Elli's grandmother, who showed them in and expressed her joy at the upcoming wedding. Claire had never seen so much life and vigor in the old lady as she bustled around the house, taking Claire's measurements and rummaging up fabric. Fortunately, she had five yards of winter white satin folded away.

Ellen smiled at Elli. "I had set it aside for your wedding dress, so do you mind...?"

Elli waved the matter away. "Oh, who knows when Doctor will get around to building up enough courage." She rolled her eyes. "I know we'll be together, but it won't be any time soon. So go ahead and use this fabric for Claire. We can get more easily before my wedding ever happens." She giggled.

Ellen sketched up a basic design for Claire's dress, and Claire was overjoyed. It was perfect! Sleeveless, with a sweetheart neckline, darted waist, and a full gathered skirt. "I've got a petticoat you can wear underneath." Ellen said. "It belonged to Elli's mother."

Claire looked at Elli quickly. "Oh, Elli, I can't. That's too special."

Elli shook her head vigorously. "You're my best friend, Claire," she said quietly. "I don't mind at all."

"Really?" Claire asked Elli as she clutched her friend by the shoulders. "You're the best!" They hugged tightly. "You have to be my maid of honor!"

Elli squealed. "That would be awesome!" They both looked at Ellen. "Do you think you can manage one more dress in a week?"

Ellen beamed warmly on them. "Anything for my two girls." The three of them rummaged together in Ellen's fabric bins and came up with a bolt of raw silk in a lovely shade of rose that they all agreed would be just right. They settled on a simple design for Elli's dress as well, similar to the design of Claire's gown, but with a less full skirt, and a wide sash of light blue chiffon at the waist.

They bid Ellen goodbye as she started work on the dresses. They practically skipped down the road to Popuri's house. The pink-haired girl was sitting at the edge of the chicken farm, with her shoes off, dangling her feet into the stream, and staring off into the distance.

"Popuri!!" Elli shouted out as they got closer. Popuri about jumped a mile and turned to look at them, smiling when she realized it was two of her friends. "Popuri! Claire and Cliff are getting married!"

Popuri clapped her hands excitedly. "That's wonderful! Oh my god, I totally want to do the flowers!"

Claire grinned at Popuri. "You're awesome! That was exactly what I was going to ask you to do."

Popuri beamed back. "You know I love flowers. So when is this wedding? This summer?"

Claire and Elli looked at each other. "Well, it's in six days," Claire replied sheepishly.

Popuri didn't bat an eye at that. "Oh, that's great! Then I can use toy flowers because they are in season!"

Claire sighed in relief. "Phew, I was afraid that you would say it was too short of notice."

Popuri shook her head. "No way! I mean, flowers are flowers. You can't pick them very far in advance anyway, so you're kind of doing them last minute no matter what. And it's not like I'm too busy around here. Rick is such a dweeb, he never lets me do anything." She stuck her tongue out in the general direction of the chicken coop. At that exact moment, Rick appeared in the doorway, holding a chicken. He waved and grinned at them, and the three girls had to stifle their laughter, waving back.

"Well, speak of the devil." Popuri giggled. "OK, you guys leave it to me. Just let me know the exact time of the ceremony a little closer to the day, and everything will be fine."

"Thanks, Po, I owe you one!" Claire shouted back gleefully as she and Elli ran down the road towards their next destination.

They hustled towards Claire's farm, where Cliff looked up from his work, smiling. "You two look happy. What's going on?"

Elli gasped and stuck her tongue out at him. "Silly! Like you don't know! We've got a wedding to plan!"

Cliff grasped Claire around the waist and hoisted her up into the air. "Oh really? Who are you marrying?" he asked, his eyes twinkling.

"You, silly!" She kissed him on the nose as he settled her back on the ground. He smiled broadly and took her hand, kissing the ring finger where his ring was.

"I know, I'm just playing with you. Is there anything I need to do?"

Elli put her hands on her hips. "Well, Popuri and I are taking care of all the girly details, but the two of you should probably go yourselves to tell Carter and get the church details worked out, and if you want to have your reception at the inn, you should go talk to Doug together."

Cliff grimaced. "Doug…" he said, obviously still hurting from being kicked out in winter.

Claire stroked his arm. "Let's not have any hard feelings against him, honey. It was rough at the time, but if he hadn't kicked you out, you wouldn't have ended up here, right?"

Cliff smiled and nodded. "Yeah, you're right!" He laughed. "Well, let me get cleaned up and we'll go do all that stuff." He and Claire waved at Elli as she ran back off towards town. Cliff took a quick shower, and pulled on a dark red button up shirt and black pants. He tied his still wet hair up in a ponytail, and he and Claire set off for town, hand in hand.

They arrived at the church just a few minutes later, laughing and out of breath. Pastor Carter was sweeping the front path and smiled benevolently at them. "What's the rush, my children?"

"We're getting married!" Claire said excitedly.

Carter laughed joyfully. "Oh Cliff, I always knew that there were wonderful things in store for you in Mineral Town! When will we have this wedding?"

"In six days. Is that OK?"

"Heavens, yes!" Carter replied. "It's not like we're a big city church, all booked up with events. That will work just fine. Is 2 in the afternoon good for you?"

Claire clasped her hands together. "That will work just fine. Thank you, Father."

Cliff and Claire then set off for the inn. Cliff bowed his head and fidgeted a little as they walked up to the counter to talk to Doug.

Doug stopped wiping the counter for a moment and looked up at them with raised eyebrows. "What brings you two here?"

Claire looked at Cliff, letting him have this one. Cliff cleared his throat and smiled. "Doug, Claire and I are getting married. We wanted to know if we could use the inn for our reception. The whole town's pretty much invited, so everyone is welcome."

"That would be fine, boy!" Doug bellowed, every bit as loud as his daughter if not more. "Yeah, I'll be happy to lay out a feast for you – in exchange for some of your crops." Doug winked. "I hear you guys are turning out some fine potatoes this season."

Claire smiled and nodded. "You just make a list of the crops you'd like and we'll do our best to supply them. Thank you so much, Doug."

"My pleasure, my pleasure." Doug's big red face beamed. "We haven't had a wedding around here in ages, and it will be good for the whole town to get together like that. Oh, and you know what? Duke owes me a favor, so I think I can convince him to supply the festivities with wine."

"Could you really? Oh, thank you so much!" Claire practically flew across the counter to hug Doug around the neck. Doug's face became even redder and he roared with laughter. Cliff reached out and shook his hand. They thanked Doug profusely and then left the inn.

They were walking down the road when a thought struck Claire. "Oh, Cliff, what about invitations? We're going to have to send out a lot to invite the whole town." Worry knotted her brow.

Cliff mused for a moment, then snapped his fingers. Laughing, he turned to Claire. "Oh, can think of a solution to that problem."

They were just approaching the winery, and Cliff walked over to the fence and leaned on it. Manna was outside, pulling weeds from the front walk. "Hello, Manna." Cliff called.

She looked up. "Why, hello Cliff. And hello Claire! What are you two up to today?" Manna's nose was twitching, and Claire knew what that meant, she smelled big news coming. Claire laughed inwardly as she realized Manna probably already knew what was happening, and was just playing dumb so that she could find out more.

Cliff took Claire's hand, and smiled at Manna. "Claire and I are getting married in six days."

All sorts of noises came out of Manna as she stood up, wiping her hands off on her apron. She squealed, squeaked, and laughed all at the same time. She rushed over to the happy couple and gave them both big hugs. "Well, that's wonderful news!"

"It will be at 2pm in the church, with a reception afterwards at Doug's Inn. Everyone in town is welcome to come!"

As Cliff and Claire headed back to the farm, Claire glanced back towards the winery and just saw Manna's retreating figure scurrying in the direction of the library. Cliff turned and looked too. "See what I mean? She'll have invited the whole town before the sun sets today, mark my words."

Claire just laughed and leaned into him.


	12. The Big Day

Elli helped Claire into her dress in the backroom of the Clinic.

"Are you nervous, Claire?" Elli asked.

"A little…okay, actually a lot." Claire looked at herself in the mirror. "Wow, Ellen did such a good job! It's wonderful!" Claire eyed Elli's dress. "Yours is really good too."

Just then, they heard the front door of the Clinic slam with a bang. A few moments later, Karen appeared, hairbrush in one hand and a large makeup case in the other. "Are you ready?"

"Yes, thank you so much for doing our hair and makeup, Karen. I really appreciate this."

"Hey, I don't mind at all," Karen said. "I love doing this kind of thing, but nobody's really very glamorous around here, you know?" Karen got to work pinning up Claire's long blonde hair into a gorgeous updo, and finishing it with a few expertly placed flowers. She then skillfully applied makeup to first Claire's face, then Elli's.

They looked at themselves in the mirror, and at each other. "Perfect!" Claire said. Karen packed up her case and waved goodbye, heading to the church with all the other townspeople.

"What do you think Cliff is doing right now, Elli?" Claire asked, smoothing out the skirt of her gown.

"Probably being just as nervous as you. But he's in good hands. Doctor is getting him into one of his suits at your farmhouse. Don't worry, Doctor's got style, so Cliff will look good. And he knows how to tie a tie!"

"Now that's a skill!" Claire laughed.

Elli looked up at the clock on the wall and squealed. "Oh, it's almost 2! Let's hightail it over to the church!"

Giggling, the two girls made their way as quickly as they could in their fancy attire. Luckily the Church was right next door. Harris, the local policeman, stood at the door, acting as an usher.

Claire elbowed Elli and whispered in her ear. "Check it out, I've got police protection at my wedding!" Elli just giggled back.

They approached the front doors, and looked at each other. "Okay, this is it, Claire," Elli said.

Claire suddenly looked panicked and was gasping for breath. Elli grabbed her arm. "What's wrong, Claire?" Claire just pointed down at her dress. For there, smeared across the pristine white satin, was a huge streak of mud.

Elli was flabbergasted. "What the…? When did that happen?"

Claire groaned. "I brushed against the gate when we were leaving the Clinic. It's been raining. I didn't even realize it then!" Tears welled up in her eyes. "Oh Elli, I can't go in there looking like this." She began to cry and hyperventilate.

Elli grabbed Claire by the shoulders,. "Don't cry, don't cry, you'll mess up your makeup. Let me think for a second… ah ha!" Elli suddenly stooped at Claire's feet and reached her arms up under her dress. Claire gasped. "What are you doing?"

Elli's hands reappeared, holding several straight pins. "Grandma had to pin this petticoat up for you because you're so short. We can use the pins to do this…" she swiftly folded a large pleat in the full skirt and pinned it from underneath. The mud stain was enclosed in that pleat and was barely visible. The huge seam running down the middle did look a little strange, and the edges of the tulle petticoat started to peek out from the hem of the dress due to the loss of pins, but it was way better. Elli dabbed away Claire's tears with a tissue, and removed a bit of smudged makeup. "There, all better. Now, let's go!"

Elli nodded silently to Claire, and then turned and entered the church first. Claire waited a moment, and then followed in behind her, walking slowly down the aisle. She dropped her eyes to her dress, but seeing the awkward seam hiding the stain that she'd rather not see, she brought her eyes back up. The church

was decorated so beautifully with toy flowers, thanks to Popuri.

Turning to watch her was the entire town, dressed in their best clothes. There was the Mayor, silly and pompous as ever, in his little red top hat, giving her a big grin. There were Jeff, Sasha, and Karen, who gave her a thumbs up. Zack the shipper was there with Won the traveling salesman (he was probably just there for the free food.) Even the Gourmet had made it! How did he even hear about it? Again, he was probably just there for the free food. Further down the aisle, there were Rick, Lillia, and Popuri, who waved excitedly and winked at her.

Then Claire looked toward the end of the aisle. Elli had reached her destination and was standing to the side of the altar. Doctor stood on the other side, standing in as best man for Cliff. And in the middle of the altar…Cliff. He was looking at her adoringly as she advanced towards him. He looked so handsome in the black suit he had borrowed from the Doctor. His long hair was tied back neatly, and there was a moondrop flower in his lapel.

"This has got to be one of the happiest moments of my life!" Claire thought to herself. She reached the altar and stood beside Cliff.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today…" Carter began the ceremony, droning on and on in that warm, fatherly voice that had put so many people to sleep on Sundays.

Claire gazed into Cliff's eyes. He smiled and gazed back at her, tilting his head to the side a little.

"Do you Cliff, take Claire to be your lawfully wedded wife?" Carter asked, snapping Claire and Cliff out of their daze.

"I do," Cliff replied.

"And you Claire, do you take Cliff to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

"I do," Claire said breathlessly.

"Whosoever has any objection to this marriage, speak now or forever hold your peace…"

Claire held her breath for a moment, glancing out at the crowd. Her eyes quickly found the red head she was looking for, Ann. Would Ann try to make a scene?

But Ann's face was friendly, and she smiled up at the happy couple, her arm linked with that of her date, Harris. Claire breathed a sigh of relief.

"Then I now pronounce you man and wife." Carter said happily. "You may now kiss your bride," he said to Cliff, smiling.

Claire looked back at Cliff, and he leaned in and grasped her by the shoulders. She took her face in her hands and they shared a chaste, sweet kiss suitable for a wedding. The crowd cheered in approval.

Mary was on the organ, and she began playing "The Wedding March" as the newlywed couple turned and walked down the aisle together. Villagers threw flower petals at them as they passed, clapping and cheering for them.

They made their way to Doug's inn. Practically the whole town was on their heels. The first thing Claire did was rush into the bathroom. There, Elli unpinned the makeshift seam, and helped Claire hoist the skirt into the sink (while Claire was still in the dress) and wash the mud out with cold water and white soap. Elli peeked out of the door and caught a passing Ann, who discreetly directed them to the laundry room, where Claire lifted her wet skirt front up onto the ironing board and pressed out the creasing while steaming the fabric dry. Amazingly, it looked as good as new! No one would ever have guessed what happened.

The party at Doug's place was wonderful. Popuri had gone above and beyond by decorating the inn with flowers as well. There was a huge table covered in all kinds of food, mostly made from their crops. A large white cake rested on the end of the table, specially baked by Manna for the event. "Thank goodness Ann didn't make it," Cliff whispered to Claire, stifling a laugh.

They cut the cake together. Everyone cheered for them to smash it in each other's face, but they fed it to each other nicely. Slices of cake were passed around and everybody complimented Manna on the flavor. Manna glowed with pride, and went on at length about the recipe, how she made it, what was going on this morning when she was baking it, and about the time her sister baked a cake during a tornado, and about the time that Duke ate a whole cake when he was drunk, and on and on. People edged away slowly from Manna, who was oblivious.

Duke had come through with the wine as they had hoped, and it was flowing freely. At one point, Claire caught a glimpse of a tipsy Doctor and Elli grinding together on the dance floor and thought to herself that Elli might be getting her wish tonight. Claire giggled to herself.

That wasn't the only love match attempting to happen that night. Weddings seem to make people feel romantic (especially when the reception has an open bar.) Zack, whose long unrequited love for Lillia was known to everyone in town except the woman herself, gazed lovingly across the table at his crush while she chattered on and on about her chicken ranch and her children. Rick and Karen were also dancing just as crazy as the Doctor and Elli. Gray, shy as ever, was just staring gloomily across the room at Mary, the object of his affections, as she talked with (or was talked at by) Manna. Popuri, whose boyfriend Kai only came to town in summer, settled for the Mayor, twirling happily with him, his face growing red

and his top hat bobbing. Jeff and Sasha swayed gently to the music, cheek to cheek, still as in love as ever. Couples like that were reassuring to Claire, proof that love really could last.

The party went on and on. Everyone kept coming up to them and congratulating them. There was a table covered in presents that Zack assured would be delivered to their farm the next day.

Finally, exhausted, Cliff leaned over to Claire. "Let's go home," he whispered to her. She nodded assent and they rose from the table, saying their goodbyes to everyone. Claire paused at the door, turning and throwing her bouquet. Elli dived madly for it, but it landed in Popuri's arms. Popuri looked startled, but smiled and held it up triumphantly.

Cliff and Claire walked down the path to their farm happily. The moonlight illuminated the path. Cliff squeezed Claire's hand. "Was it everything you wanted?" he asked her.

Claire nodded and laughed. "Oh yes, and more." She finally got to tell him about the fiasco with the mud on her dress. Cliff felt so bad for her, but assured her that not even he noticed that anything was wrong with her dress.

They arrived at the farmhouse. Cliff opened the door, and Claire started to walk in, but Cliff stopped her. "Wait," he said, and lifted her up off the ground. He carried her across the threshold, and set her down carefully in the house.

In the bedroom, Cliff unzipped Claire's gown, and she helped him out of his suit and tie. Claire stood there in her slip, and Cliff in his boxers. Claire stroked his face lovingly. "You're my husband now."

"And you're my wife," Cliff responded. He kissed her deeply, and they climbed into the bed together…where they promptly fell asleep soundly. Weddings are exhausting, after all!

At about two o'clock in the morning, Cliff woke up. He suddenly felt reenergized, and he rolled over to Claire. She was sleeping peacefully, and he almost hated to disturb her. He kissed her softly on her shoulder, then placed a trail of kisses over her collarbone. Claire stirred a little. "Mmm…" she moaned, opening her eyes slightly. Cliff smiled at her in the moonlight, and she smiled back, wrapping her arms around his neck. He leaned in and kissed her passionately. She kissed back, twining one thigh around his waist. She shifted her hips to grind against him, and he groaned. He reached down to the hem of her slip and shimmied it up to her waist, and then they both pulled it over her head.

Cliff kissed her breasts and stomach. Claire sighed with happiness. He brought his hand between her legs, and massaged there gently. She moaned, leaning in to breathe heavily in his ear. "Make love to me, Cliff."

He groaned and snatched her panties off with one quick motion. He pulled off his boxers, and touched her wetness with the tip of his hardness.

He whispered in her ear, "You're so wet."

"Mmm hmm." she replied, grasping him with one hand. "And you're so…"

She broke off there, as he caught her off guard and pushed inside of her. "Mmm hmm." he replied back.

Claire cried out in ecstasy, writhing against him. Cliff breathed hard, kissing her neck as he thrust into her over and over. They rolled over together, and Claire straddled him, rocking against him. He grasped her by the waist and thrust upwards. Claire pressed down into him, biting her lip and closing her eyes. Her breath became uneven, and in the pale moonlight Cliff could just see the crimson flush spreading over her chest as she started to climax.

"Cliff, Cliff, Cliff!" Claire screamed out. He was so excited and pleased that he climaxed as well, bucking his hips and gritting his teeth as he groaned out her name. They finally caught their breath again, kissed each other sweetly, and fell back asleep in each other's arms.


	13. Planting the Future

Claire stood up and brushed the soil off her pants once she had planted the last of the pineapple seeds in the ground. She smiled approvingly at her field. "This is going to be a wonderful harvest," she said to her husband.

Cliff smiled at her. Just then, Gray arrived on the farm, wheeling something on a dolly.

"Here's the mayonnaise maker you ordered. I'll just put it in the barn then," he grumbled.

Claire had hemmed and hawed about sinking that kind of money into a mayonnaise maker, but finally they had agreed that it was worth the investment. Mayonnaise sold for so much more than eggs. They also commissioned Gotz to expand the chicken coop, so that they could keep more chickens, and thus get more eggs for mayonnaise. It was a lot of money at once, but they had a tidy sum earned from spring crops, which they had also invested in pricey pineapple seeds. Pineapples took a long time to grow, almost a whole month, but they sold for 500G each. Plus, you could keep harvesting more pineapples from the same plant. They would really be able to turn a profit this season.

The next day, there wasn't much to do, so they decided to go to the beach together. Popuri was already there with her boyfriend Kai, who ran the snack shack during the summer. Cliff bought Claire a shaved ice and they ate it happily, basking in the warm sun.

Popuri ran over, and sank down into the sand next to them. "So, how's married life?" she gushed, eyes sparkling.

Claire beamed and laced her fingers into Cliff's. "Just fabulous," she said.

Popuri bit her lip. "Do you remember that I caught the bouquet at your wedding?"

Claire nodded. "Of course I do. Elli practically scratched your eyes out to get it!"

Popuri giggled a little. "Oh yeah. Well, anyway…" she continued, "that means I'm getting married next right?"

Claire scratched her neck. "Well, that's the tradition anyway, or whatever you want to call it."

Popuri nodded and blushed. "Well, when Kai got here a few days after your wedding, I told him all about it, and he said 'Let's elope!' Can you believe that?"

Cliff raised his eyebrows, and Claire leaned forward. "Do you think he's serious, Po?"

Popuri nodded vigorously. "Mmm hmm. He said when the summer is over, I can come with him. But…" she trailed off. "I don't want to leave my mom and Rick. But I don't like being away from Kai all year, either."

Claire reached out and grabbed Popuri's hand. "You have to do what you feel is right, okay? You've got all summer to decide. Just enjoy the season and your heart will tell you what to do."

Popuri blinked at Claire. "Wow, that was really wise, Claire. Marriage has made you really smart!" She stood up abruptly. "Okay, I'm going to see if Kai needs help! See ya!"

Cliff nudged Claire. "Did you hear that?" he teased. "I'm making you smart."

Claire giggled and poked him. "You make me dumb. I can't think when you're looking at me like you do."

Cliff fixed a pathetic, loving look on his face. "Like this?" he pouted.

Claire blushed. "Yes, just like that!"

They had had enough of the summer sun, so they packed up their things and headed back home. They got into the shower together to rinse off the sand, and after a bit of friskiness, they finished up and got dressed.

Claire had planned a get together with Elli at the Clinic, so she set off, kissing Cliff lovingly. He settled down on the couch with a book as she left.

As Claire walked to the Clinic, she remembered talking to Elli the day after the wedding. She was curious to know what happened after Doctor's drunken dirty dancing with Elli at the reception.

"Absolutely nothing!" Elli had fumed. "He played a big game at the party, getting happy hands and all, but then we get back to the Clinic and he passes out cold on the couch in the lobby! The nerve!" Elli pouted. "He got me all worked up, and then nothing. The man can't handle his liquor. I'm going to have to change my strategy if I want anything to ever happen between us."

"So what's your strategy?" Claire had asked her.

But Elli didn't have one planned out yet. She said she'd think about it, and her and Claire could get together for their regular tea time the next week to discuss it.

Claire arrived at the Clinic. She walked in, and was surprised to see Elli laid out on one of the patient beds, a pained look on her face. Doctor buzzed around frantically, mixing up tinctures and applying a cold compress to Elli's forehead.

Claire rushed forward to her best friend. "Oh no, Elli, what's wrong?"

Elli winced. "I'm having a migraine. Claire…I'm sorry. We were supposed to have tea together today."

Claire shook her head. "That's all right, Elli. I just want you to feel better. I'll leave now so that you can rest."

Elli grasped Claire's wrist. "Wait, Claire. Stay with me a little while?" Elli glanced at the Doctor, whose back was turned just then. Elli looked up and winked at Claire. Claire was bewildered, but just nodded.

The Doctor turned around and cleared his throat gently. "I need to go upstairs and get a book." He walked over to Elli and stroked her face lovingly. "I'll be right back, okay?"

Elli looked up at him weakly. "Thank you Doctor. I'm sorry to be so much trouble,"

"Not at all, not at all," Doctor blushed and stammered, hurrying away and up the stairs.

Claire turned on Elli. "What are you doing!?"

Elli smirked. "I realized he loves his patients dearly. So, to get him to start loving me, I have to be a patient first."

Claire groaned and raised her eyebrows. "Is that really…ethical?"

"Everything's ethical in love and war!" Elli pouted. "Now that you know my plan, shoo, shoo shoo! Leave me alone with Doctor. I need some of that bedside manner!" Elli cackled.

Claire widened her eyes and backed away. "Ooookay, weirdo. You have your fun."

Elli smiled. "Thanks, you're a doll. Now, shhhh, I hear him coming."

Claire stuck her tongue out at Elli and turned to leave the Clinic. She encountered Doctor on her way out, clutching a thick book and hurrying back to Elli was.

"Oh, Doctor," Claire gasped, loud enough for Elli to hear too. "Elli is having a pain in her chest! I think she needs her chest examined right away!"

Doctor nodded furiously, and Claire could hear a stifled laugh from Elli from behind the curtain. Claire rolled her eyes and hurried home, satisfied that she had repaid her debt to Elli.


	14. Stormy Weather

--

Chapter Fourteen - Stormy Weather

The hurricane raged and howled outside. Claire paced the floors of their house, occasionally attempting to look out the windows to see if she could see anything, but Cliff would pull her back, saying it was too dangerous. Claire was desperately worried about her animals. Cliff reassured her that there was nothing they could do right now. When the weather died down a bit, they could go out and make sure everything was all right.

Claire slept fitfully. When sunlight finally streamed in the window, she awoke with a bolt. Pulling on her overalls over her pajamas, she hurried outside to survey the damage, hoping that there wasn't much.

She wasn't prepared for what she saw. The fields were a complete disaster. Debris from the storm lay haphazardly everywhere. Their pineapple crops, which had been near their first harvest, were completely destroyed. Claire wandered in a daze to the edge of the field, picking up a broken piece of pineapple. It was unripe, and utterly worthless. Claire dropped it and turned to look towards the chicken coop. She blinked her eyes over and over, not believing what she was seeing

The chicken coop had been completely flattened. She rushed over, picking through the debris. She sobbed as she found the broken bodies of her sweet chickens. Cliff ran up beside her, and stopped, stunned. Claire threw herself on him, sobbing into his chest. "Oh, Cliff, they're all dead!" Cliff held her tightly as she cried, murmuring comforting words. He stared out over the rubble, noting the brand new mayonnaise maker in a broken heap, ruined.

Claire eventually gained control of herself, and remembered her livestock. She ran over to the barn, Cliff close on her heels. She breathed a sigh of relief as she saw that the barn looked virtually untouched, other than some broken windows. She threw open the barn doors. Running from each animal, checking them out to make sure they were okay, Claire hugged each around the neck , grateful that they were okay. And they were okay, for the most part, other than being very scared and unhappy, and one of the sheep had a cut to the flank from some flying glass.

Cliff and Claire worked industriously in the barn, cleaning up broken glass and tending to the animals. They both knew that the chicken coop and fields were a bigger mess, but those were both a total loss. The barn could be helped.

When they finished in there, they walked out together and stared at the fields, then at the chicken coop. Claire looked at Cliff questioningly. He grimly nodded towards the chicken coop. "Let's get that over with," he said.

Claire nodded sadly, and they donned thick work gloves to move the broken boards. Cliff got a shovel, and dug a deep hole on the edge of the fields, which Claire carried the bodies of her chickens to, and buried them carefully. Claire took a thick broom and swept away the scattered chicken feed and broken eggshells, while Cliff piled the boards together on the perimeter of the farm.

They then dealt with the fields. Cliff got the wheelbarrow, and Claire threw bits of unripe pineapple and other debris into it. When it got full, Cliff would roll it to the edge of the field and tip it over, then come back for more.

Hours later, when they had it all straightened up, they surveyed the fields one more time. Two lone pineapple plants were salvageable, out of the 72 they planted. A narrow row of corn had survived the storm for the most part, and the low lying onions were all okay.

Claire and Cliff trudged back to the farmhouse, utterly exhausted. They entered the bathroom together, shedding their clothes silently. Cliff turned on the water and they both got in. Cliff washed Claire off, shampooed her hair, caressing her comfortingly. Claire stood in the warm stream of water and cried. Cliff held her to him, kissing her forehead and saying every soothing thing he could think of. They finished up the shower and dried off. Cliff got a clean pair of pajamas for her, and helped her get dressed in them. Claire's body was totally limp, overwhelmed with sorrow and exhaustion. Cliff guided her into bed, and then went into the kitchen and made them both some simple sandwiches. He brought one to Claire in bed, along with a glass of milk. Claire devoured it hungrily, drank all the milk, then laid back in bed. Cliff ate his own sandwich and cleaned up the kitchen.

He went back to the bedroom, switching off the lights as he went. He climbed into bed next to Claire and spooned her, holding her tightly. Claire began crying again, and Cliff could no longer hold on. He cried along with her, just letting the tears come. Sobs racked Claire's small body, and Cliff held her as tightly as he could, aching with sadness himself.


	15. Rebuilding

Things were tough. For one, there was no money, since they had invested it all in the mayonnaise maker, expanded chicken coop, and field of pineapples, all of which were destroyed by the hurricane. Secondly, since all those things that were supposed to bring in money were destroyed, they sort of had a catch-22 situation. All of the money used on money makers, then the money makers were gone, so no new money.

What they did have was each other, and the livestock in the barn. Unfortunately, the storm had scared some of the cows so badly that they didn't produce milk for over a week, and one of the sheep got sick. Cliff and Claire dealt with these things as they came, keeping their heads held high. Claire had cried a lot about their losses, but she was done with feeling sorry for herself, and was committed to getting everything right again.

Since there weren't as many farm chores to do, they had just a little bit of free time. Of course they used that trying to improve the farm in any way they could, but Cliff had also taken up fishing. Kai had given him an old rod he found in the shed behind the snack shack, and Cliff fished in every spare moment he had. Luckily, a small stream ran right past the farmhouse, so he was able to do a lot of the fishing without being too far away from Claire. He did like to try out other spots every now and then, like the Goddess Pond and the ocean. Cliff refused to fish in Kappa Lake though. He sheepishly admitted that he was a little afraid of catching the Kappa.

Cliff became very skilled at fishing, and brought in increasingly larger strings of fish every day. At first, it was just enough for dinner, but soon he had enough to sell. Zack, for some reason, refused to buy fish and actually got enraged one day when Cliff put some in the shipping bin.

"Are you crazy? You'll stink up everything!!" he had bellowed, his big square face getting red.

"Cool it, man! I won't do it again," Cliff had said, waving his hands frantically.

But Won down at the pier loved fish. Cliff sold him a good string every day, bringing in enough money to keep things going.

The mood of the cows improved after a while, and the sick sheep got better as well. The fruit trees Claire had planted in the spring had survived the storm, but of course were too young to produce fruit, except for the peach tree, that seemed to be trying to be helpful. It made one tiny little peach, which Claire and Cliff ate together in the field.

One day, there was a happy surprise. Claire was in the barn brushing a sheep when she heard Cliff's voice calling out for her. She put down the brush and walked out of the barn, looking for him. She was shocked to see him holding a chicken.

"Chichi!" Claire cried out happily, rushing forward. She looked at Cliff. "Is it really Chichi?"

Cliff grinned, holding out the chicken. "It's got to be. How many chickens look like that?"

It was true, Chichi was always an unusual looking hen. She had black feathers spotting through her white feathers.

Claire took the bird from Cliff, marveling at it. "Where did you find her?"

Cliff laughed. "Heh heh. Silly girl was clucking around by the Goddess Pond. I guess she got blown all the way over there, and she's been eating crickets to get by all this time."

Claire stroked the hen, then frowned. "But the chicken coop is gone…where can we put her?"

Cliff thought for a little bit. "Well, I can make a pen out of logs to keep her in outside. She seems like she's been thriving out in the sunshine, any how. If there's bad weather, we can stick her in the barn for the night. It's not the best arrangement, but the cows and sheep shouldn't mind too much.

Claire agreed that this was a good idea. Cliff set to work making a barrier of logs, and when it was done, Claire placed Chichi down in the pen. The hen set to work immediately digging worms and bugs out of the ground.

Claire smiled happily. "She likes it!"

Claire was in a good mood, so she went to visit Elli. She had avoided everybody since the hurricane, too upset to see anyone. Elli greeted her cheerfully. "Well, thank the Harvest Goddess! You're still alive!"

Claire smiled sheepishly. "Sorry about that. We've been pretty busy," She refrained from telling Elli the whole story of the aftermath of the hurricane. She really didn't want to relive all that.

Elli waved her hands. "I'VE been busy as well." She leaned in conspiratorially. "My little plan worked."

Claire shrieked. "You guys did it?!"

Elli rolled her head back and sighed. "Did we EVER! On the couch in the lobby, on the desk in the study, on that counter (Elli gestured to the counter Claire was leaning on, and Claire edged away carefully, earning a scowl from Elli - "I've cleaned it since!"), on the patient beds - all six of them, in my bed, in his bed, on the floor…"

"Okay, okay!" Claire laughed. "I get it! You did it a lot! So how did it all go down?"

"Well," Elli leaned in breathlessly. "So I was faking that migraine business, and you pulled that 'Check out her chest' stunt. Thanks for that, by the way. So, he came in and after a bit of stammering and blushing, he unbuttoned my blouse to examine me. I just sighed and breathed heavily, all that, and he was gone. Ripped off the rest of my clothes and we made love right there. And every where else. Hoo boy! It was something else."

Claire tilted her head. "So, are you guys, like, together?"

Elli nodded. "Oh yeah. He's fallen head over heels. It's awesome. That's what 4 long years of working at something earns you. Total devotion!"

Claire giggled with Elli. "Well, good for you."

Elli looked serious all the sudden. "That hurricane… did it do any damage to the farm?"

Claire averted her eyes. "A little…" she fibbed.

Elli leaned forward and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Look at me. You're lying to me! I can't believe it! Why? What's going on?"

Claire squirmed. "Nothing…" Then she sighed, shuddered, and broke down into tears.

"Oh no, Claire, I'm sorry!" Elli pleaded.

Claire wiped her tears away, but more kept coming. "No, I'm sorry. I just didn't want to talk about it at all." She recounted the devastation to Elli. Before long, Elli was crying along with her.

"That's terrible, Claire! But you should have told me, I'm your best friend!" Elli clasped Claire's hand. "What can I do to help you?"

"Nothing, but thank you." Claire said. "We've got it all cleaned up. We've been fixing up things and making up the money in other ways, like Cliff has been fishing a lot."

Elli looked at her sympathetically. "I'm so sorry, Claire, you having to go through all that right at the beginning of your marriage."

Claire shook her head. "No, actually it's made us stronger. I'm realizing more than ever what a wonderful partner he is, in every way."

Elli smiled and nodded, then got a serious look on her face. "But the most important question, Claire, is…has it affected your sex life?"

Claire rolled her eyes and laughed hard. "Oh, Elli, you're the same as ever. No, it hasn't. It's still amazing and frequent."

"Well, that's good then," Elli patted Claire on the head. "Mama-chan worries about little Claire getting enough loving."

Claire stuck her tongue out at Elli. "I thought you didn't want to be called that!"

Elli sniffed. "Well, I let Doctor call me that…in bed."

Claire wrinkled her nose. "Ewww…I've heard enough."

They laughed and talked together for another hour. Claire realized it was getting late and hurried home. Cliff was getting home at just the same time, with a couple of large ocean fish. He had already sold the others he had caught to Won, and he showed her the money he had gotten.

Claire kissed him. "You're the best husband ever."

Cliff cleaned the fish, and Claire cooked them up for supper, along with some of the corn and onions that had survived the storm. They ate, talking and laughing.

That night, Claire climbed into bed, and Cliff smiled at her, reaching over. "Let me give you a back rub," he said.

Claire couldn't refuse that, so she lay face down on the bed. Cliff worked his hands over her neck and shoulders, kneading softly. He stroked across her back, pressing out the tension. Claire sighed happily and melted into the bed. Cliff continued to rub Claire's back for several minutes, then he leaned down and kissed her neck. Claire moaned a little, and Cliff kissed her neck again, and again. His hands slid down her back to her inner thighs, and he squeezed there a moment before slipping his hand into the warm apex of her thighs.

"Mmmm…ohhhh…." Claire breathed heavily. Cliff massaged her gently at first, then pressed more strongly. Claire arched her back at him, and he suddenly took a hand to each of her hips, and moving off of her, flipped her onto her back. He pressed himself on top of her, their bodies grinding together in a steady rhythm. Cliff pulled away and eased Claire's pajamas off, and quickly shed his own. Claire wrapped her thighs around his waist and he carefully entered her.

Claire tilted her head back and sighed as Cliff moved deeper inside of her. They rocked together for sometime, kissing and sliding their hands over each other's bodies. Before too long, Claire tightened herself on Cliff and her breath came in sharp hisses as he satisfied her. He lay with her for a moment while she relished the afterglow, then began thrusting again, finding release himself shortly after. They snuggled under the covers together, totally relaxed and happy, and drifted off to sleep.


	16. End of Summer

Fall was almost here. The long, humid summer days had waned a bit, signaling the end of the season.

Claire was preparing dinner when she heard a rap on the door. Cliff opened it to reveal Kai and Popuri, hand in hand, giddy with happiness.

Claire set down the spatula she was using and came forward to greet them. "Hey, guys. What're you so happy about?"

"I'm going away with Kai!" Popuri blurted out, hopping up and down a little.

Kai nodded and grinned. "We just had Carter and the Mayor make it official an hour ago. It was a quick little wedding, with just Rick, Lillia and Karen there."

Popuri let go of Kai's hand and came forward a little, grabbing Claire by the shoulders. "I did what you said," she whispered breathlessly. "I listened to my heart, and now I know that I want to be with Kai, forever."

Claire smiled and hugged her. "That's wonderful. I wish you guys the best."

Cliff shook Kai's hand, and then Kai gestured out in the direction of the fields. "Hey, I notice you've got two pineapple plants that survived the storm. I heard about that, by the way. I'm sorry, and I was disappointed to not be able to buy up your crop this season. But anyway, do you think I could buy those last two pineapples that are still on the plant?" He grasped Popuri's hand, squeezing it and smiling down on her. "They'd be a little taste of summer to take with us to our next destination."

"Sure," Cliff said, slipping on his work gloves, and going out with them onto the field. He twisted off the two just ripe fruits and handed them over to Kai.

"Thanks, man." He slipped some money into Cliff's hand, and then turned and hurried off with Popuri.

"Goodbye!" Popuri yelled cheerfully over her shoulder. "See you next summer!"

Cliff walked back into the house, unfolding the bills in his hand. He choked and Claire turned, surprised.

"Claire, Kai overpaid me - by a LOT." Claire took the money from him, her eyes widening at the very large denomination bills that she had only seen once in her life before. A small piece of paper fluttered out. Cliff stooped down and picked it up, unfolding and reading it.

"To Cliff and Claire - Consider this a late wedding present. Claire, I really appreciate you being such a true friend to Popuri. When everyone else was telling her what to do, you told her to listen to herself. I hope we can have as happy of a marriage as you two do! We'll return next summer. Best wishes - Kai."

Happy tears sprung to Claire's eyes. "Oh, Cliff! This is enough money to get the chicken coop repaired!"

Cliff nodded, swallowing. "And then some." He hugged Claire happily.

The next morning, they went to visit Gotz and commissioned him to rebuild the chicken coop, this time with stone reinforcements like the barn had. Gotz was some kind of magician, because the work was done in less than five days.

Rick obligingly brought one of his roosters to "visit" Chichi so that they could have some new chicks on the farm. Rick was taking Popuri's departure very well, considering how resistant he had been to her relationship with Kai the summer before. But as he and Karen were getting more serious, he understood the importance of being with the person that you loved the most.

Elli and the Doctor announced their wedding in the middle of fall. Elli's wedding was a lavish affair. She wore a sexy strapless gown, and the Doctor wore a white tuxedo. Claire and Cliff returned the favor they had done them by being their matron of honor and best man. The party that followed at the Clinic was even wilder than Cliff and Claire's wedding reception.

Gray and Mary were finally a couple too. The rumor was that Mary was reading Gray the "good part" in one of her romance novels late at night in the library, and they both got worked up, going all the way against a bookshelf. Claire giggled to herself when she thought of that.

It was the night of the moon-viewing festival. Claire and Cliff dressed up in kimonos and hiked up to Mother's Hill. They cuddled together, admiring the view, and then shared the moon dumplings that Claire had made.

Cliff sighed. "A lot has changed in a year. Last fall I was about to have to leave town, about to have to keep wandering."

Claire snuggled up to him. "Do you ever miss traveling?"

Cliff mused this. "A little, sometimes. But the most exotic locale doesn't compare to holding you in my arms at night." He tilted Claire's chin up to meet him, kissing her.

"I've found where I belong. Now I have a place to stay."


	17. Chores

Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Chores

Cliff watched Claire as she bustled around the barn. He was shearing a sheep, while she was brushing and milking all of their cows. He usually did that, but she had insisted today, saying that if she let him do it all the time, then she would get out of practice. And that was true, as her saw her fumbling with the milker a little, but she finally got the hang of it once more.

As she bent forward over the milk pail, he caught a glimpse of her small, perfect breasts peeking out of the top of her overalls. He licked his lips as he finished up his work, then crept up behind her as she leaned on her tiptoes to hang the milker back up on the wall over the work table. He gave her a healthy swat on the bottom, causing her to squeal out in surprise. "Cliff?!"

"Cliff?" he repeated her question back to her, as he grasped her around her waist and pulled her in close. "And who else would it be?" he teased her playfully.

Claire turned her head to look at him. "Oh, I don't know," she teased back. "All kinds of guys say hello to me like that."

"Oh, really?" Cliff raised one eyebrow. "Then they better watch out for me," he growled, nuzzling her neck.

Claire squealed again. Cliff continued kissing her neck, his hands starting to wander over her. "Cliff…Cliff…" Claire breathed out. "No, Cliff…I'm so dirty…"

Cliff didn't stop. "I'm dirty too. Who cares?" he shrugged, as he spun her around and swiftly unbuckled her overalls. They fell to her waist, revealing the small white T-shirt she had underneath, that snugly fit her body, accentuating her breasts. Cliff looked her over and sighed approvingly at the very visible fact that she was not wearing a bra underneath. Claire gasped as his hands quickly slid underneath the shirt and squeezed her. She stopped resisting and relaxed, letting his kisses carry her away.

Cliff then brought his hands to her waist, and slid the overalls over her hips, so that they fell to the ground. Claire stepped out of them delicately, and then Cliff quickly took off his shirt and spread it out on the work table behind her, then lifted her by the waist onto it. "Don't want you to get splinters," he grinned as he removed her panties. He then unbuttoned and unzipped his own pants, easing them and his boxers just below his hips, just enough so that his hardness was now free, and he didn't hesitate in grinding it up against Claire. She spread her thighs wider to allow him in, and he thrust into her. They both cried out in pleasure, and then Cliff brought his hands to her waist and rocked her into him. They breathed heavily, and then found each other's mouths for a very passionate kiss. They continued like this for a while, until Claire gasped.

"Cliff! Stop! Bessie is watching us!" she gestured frantically at their prize winning cow, who indeed was looking at them curiously, chewing on some hay.

Cliff kept going, sliding his eyes over at the cow. "Hmm, so what? I saw her doing it with Barley's bull last week, so now we're even."

Claire giggled and relaxed, throwing her head back and raking her fingernails gently on his back. Cliff gave her a few minutes of very rapid, powerful thrusts, which he knew was what she needed to get warmed up for her climax. It worked, because after a while her breathing changed, she locked her legs around him, trapping him close, and pressed furiously against him. Her face flushed with pleasure as she released, shuddering against him and moaning out his name. He just smiled triumphantly, and then began to thrust rapidly into her again, finding his own release. He screamed out her name in ecstasy, making it echo off the walls of the barn.

Bessie gave a startled moo at the loud noise. Cliff caught his breath and then addressed her, "Sorry Bessie, but you weren't exactly quiet with that bull either." Claire burst out laughing, and then wrapped her arms around Cliff's neck, relaxing happily against him.


	18. Dinner Party

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Dinner Party

Claire wiped her hands on her apron, looking over the stove approvingly. Everything was almost done. She was so excited to be having her first dinner party. Well, she reflected, it was actually just the Doctor and Elli coming over. But she had never had anyone over, and she was thrilled.

A knock at the door signaled that her guests had arrived. Claire had her hands full, so Cliff answered the door. It was the Doctor and Elli, of course. Elli came through the door grinning, and held out a bottle of wine to Cliff, which he accepted. Elli immediately made a beeline for Claire and started helping her out. The Doctor and Cliff chatted as Cliff struggled to open the bottle of wine.

"Urgg," Cliff tugged on the corkscrew. "Do you know how to open these?" he asked Doctor. Doctor had to shake his head. "I don't drink, so no, not really." Elli caught a glimpse of Cliff's pitiful struggle with the bottle, and sighed in an exasperated way. She walked over and effortlessly popped the cork out with a flip of her wrist, then went back to helping Claire.

Cliff looked at Doctor, startled. "Hey, how did she do that?"

Doctor shrugged. "She drinks a lot of wine, and I'm not the one opening all those bottles." He grinned.

Cliff grinned back. "Heh heh…Oh yeah, hey Claire, do we even have wine glasses?"

Claire looked up from the stove. "Mmm hmm," she said, nodding. "They're at the very top of that cabinet." She gestured, and went back to work.

Cliff went over and opened the cabinet, then stretched as high as he could, but couldn't reach the top shelf. Doctor, who was quite a bit taller, walked over and plucked the glasses from the top shelf easily, then set them down on the dinner table. Cliff slumped a little and looked pathetic. "Man, I'm just worthless today. I can't do anything."

Claire turned around, rushing forward to him to give him a big hug. "Awww, my pitiful baby's not worthless!" She lowered her voice and said, "Don't you remember this morning you…" the rest of the sentence became a whisper in his ear. Cliff flushed and grinned.

Elli just rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to the stove. "I don't even want to know what kind of deviant activities you two are reminiscing about."

Claire turned to look at Elli, her arms still locked around Cliff's neck. "Oh, and isn't that the pot calling the kettle slutty? Who was just telling me all about the poison ivy on her back from getting busy while searching for herbs?" Cliff choked on a laugh, while Elli swung the spoon at Claire menacingly. "Shut up!" she growled. Doctor just rolled his eyes, by now very used to not only Elli's libido but also her propensity to talk about it.

Claire dodged Elli and then leaned in and snatched the spoon from her. "Ooh, you are so lucky you're my best friend, or I would have…" Elli huffed.

Claire stuck out her tongue. "Would have what? Kicked my ass? Isn't that against the Hippocratic oath?"

Elli had to laugh at that, and took her place once more at the stove. Soon dinner was ready. Elli poured three glasses of wine for herself, Claire, and Cliff, and then one glass of milk (in a wine glass of course, so he wouldn't feel left out) for Doctor. Dinner was delicious: Happy Eggplant, Grilled Fish, and Apple Souffle for dessert.

Claire and Cliff were not used to drinking, so just one glass of wine had them both giggling and tipsy. Elli, of course, was used to wine, so she just laughed inwardly at the two of them. "Lightweights," she smirked to herself.

"Oh, and do you remember the time that we caught Karen and Rick skinnydipping in Goddess Pond?" Claire giggled to Cliff.

"Oh, do I ever." Cliff put his head in his hands. "I don't ever, ever, ever, want to see Rick naked again. That scarred me for life. I thought Bozo the Clown was poking his head up between his legs!" This made Claire laugh so hard that she had to gasp for air. "And what exactly were they doing?" Cliff continued. "It looked like Karen was riding him like a pony in the water. And why was he blindfolded? I don't understand those two…"

Elli laughed as well. "Uh, it's kind of well known that Karen is a super freak. It's probably better not to think about what those two do behind closed doors."

Claire laughed. "Behind closed doors is fine and well! But this little bit of freakery occurred out in the open, and it ruined our romantic little midnight stroll!"

Cliff nodded. "I wasn't exactly in the mood any more after seeing Rick naked, and the look on his face was pretty scary too!"

Claire giggled. "And it takes a lot to put Cliff out of the mood. A LOT!" Cliff blushed. "Well, it's true!" Claire went on. "I swear, he could be dying of a stab wound, and he'd be like 'Just…let me make it…to the bed…now…climb on top of me.'" Cliff laughed, admitting that was probably true.

Doctor nudged Elli under the table. She shot a glance at him and smirked. They were both enjoying the show that the tipsy couple was putting on.

Claire took a long sip of wine and then pondered for a moment. "I think…yes, I'm sure of it. Not a day has gone by since the first night that we slept together that we haven't gotten it on in some way or another." Cliff tried to protest. "No, it's true. Even the night after the hurricane, we had 'crying sex' late that night. It was really pathetic at first, but it ended up cheering both of us up. But really, can you think of a single day that we haven't?"

Cliff furrowed his brow, thinking hard. He opened his mouth suddenly to say something, then shook his head and shut it again. "Nope," he finally said. "You're right."

Elli raised her eyebrows. "My god, you two are superhuman. Even I can't claim that. I mean, don't you ever get sick and you can't do it."

Claire shook her head. "We hardly ever get sick, and even if we do, that doesn't stop him…or me…"

Cliff smirked. "Yeah, there we go. You were trying to make it out like I'm some sex crazed demon, when it's you just as much as me!"

Claire flushed. "Well, it's still your fault. Why do you always have to be so hot?"

Cliff gestured his hands innocently. "I don't do anything. I can't help it if I'm beautiful," he purred, running his fingers through his silky brown ponytail.

Claire waggled her finger at him. "Oh, you DO things. Like this," she propped her elbows on the table and rested her chin on her fists, then gave a loving, pathetic look. "You make that face at me while I'm cooking dinner all the time. That face is responsible for a lot of burned dinners! And also, you walk around with your shirt off and always seem to need to reach something that makes you have to stretch over me. That's just a little suspicious…"

Cliff propped his elbows up on the table and rested his chin on his fists, batting his eyelashes at her. "I have noooo idea what you're talking about."

Claire groaned. "You!" She lunged out and grabbed at him. Cliff squealed. "Stop! I'm ticklish!"

Doctor cleared his throat, and stood up, pulling Elli to her feet. "I think we'll leave you two lovebirds alone…"

Claire stopped tickling Cliff and covered her mouth. "Oh, I'm sorry! I'm not being a good hostess!"

Doctor shook his head and smiled. "No, it was lovely. We'll see you two later." They turned to leave. Elli popped her head back in the door to say, "Have fun!" and gave them a sly wink.


	19. Playing Rough

Chapter 17

Chapter 19

Playing Rough

The door had just shut behind Elli and Doctor. Claire looked up at Cliff, her hand still on his thigh. "Oops, I'm sorry. I got kind of carried away." She glanced at the wine bottle. "That stuff is dangerous."

Cliff just grinned back at her. "I don't care. Now, I've got you alone…" He gave her an evil look and hooked his fingers like claws, then lunged at her.

Claire squealed, scooting the chair back and leaping out of his way. He growled playfully and kept advancing her. "I'm the big bad sex demon, and I'm coming to get you!" Claire giggled and squealed, backing away. The backs of her legs bumped into the arm of the couch, and she fell backwards over it with a shriek.

Cliff pounced on top of her. His hands expertly worked at her blouse, opening it in record time. He pulled one side off, and playfully bit at her shoulder. "Grrr…I'm going to eat you up…" Cliff growled. Claire squealed as he continued to nip at her skin. At the same time, he began to grind himself in between her legs. The friction felt wonderful, and Claire could feel herself getting wet at the same time as she could feel him getting hard. She moaned as he worked at her front clasping bra, popping it open and pushing it to the sides. He continued to play rough, raking his teeth across her nipples, making her scream out, half in delight, and half in fear that he would actually bite her there.

He didn't, but instead worked his mouth lower, nibbling at her skin until he got to the waistband of her skirt. "I'm going to eat you up…" he said again, huskily. Claire moaned in delight as he shoved her skirt up over her thighs, and brought his teeth to the strap of her panties at her hip. He held onto it in his teeth, and yanked it down. Then he crossed to the other side and yanked that down, then went to the center and carefully bit at the fabric in the middle, and pulled her panties all the way off. He tossed his head as he got them over her ankles, sending the panties flying across the room. He then leaned his face back in between her legs. He nipped lightly at the soft skin of her inner thigh. Then he flicked his tongue across her skin, and abruptly buried his face in her wet flesh. She cried out as his warm tongue worked furiously on her. He squeezed her thighs with his hands as he pleasured her with his mouth.

He just as abruptly pulled away, removing his own clothes. Claire trembled with excitement, seeing the fire burning in his eyes. He brought himself down to meet her, and thrust himself in with one powerful motion. Claire cried out a little. She was well aware of how large he was, but was really reminded of it when he was being rough. She shifted her hips and struggled to accommodate him. When he was being gentle, like he usually did, he held himself back a bit. But Claire was getting every little bit of what he could give her, and it was almost too much.

However, it was still completely pleasurable. Claire grabbed at his back. She didn't need to guide him to thrust faster into her, as he was already doing that. She just held on for dear life as he bucked wildly against her. The way he was filling her up inside was just perfect, and she closed her eyes and began to bear down on him. She tightened her muscles as much as she could, and soon was exploding against him. She screamed out his name. "Cliff! Cliff!" A deep groan came out of his throat as he let her spasms take him across the edge. He released inside of her, crying out her name. He shuddered and thrust a few more times, and then sighed and relaxed against her. She stroked his long hair, which had come undone from his ponytail in his exertion.

He lifted his head up and gave her a little kiss. "You're right honey, I am a sex demon," he said, smugly.

"And I wouldn't have it any other way!" Claire replied happily.


	20. Sheep Festival

Chapter 17

Chapter 20

Sheep Festival

The next day, Cliff and Claire were eating dinner. Claire was lost in thought, her face lined with worry. Cliff spoke up. "What's wrong, honey?"

Claire swallowed a bite of food. "The Sheep Festival is in two days. I had really planned to enter Woolly, but she's still pregnant. I hate to miss the opportunity. I've had her the longest, and she surely would have won."

Cliff thought about this for a while, and then said, "Well, how about entering Fuzzy? I know you haven't had her as long and she might not win, but it's worth a shot. She was due to be sheared in a couple of days, so her coat will be just right for the contest. I'll even give her a shampoo tomorrow."

Claire beamed. "That would be great!"

The next morning, as promised, Cliff wrestled with the bleating animal, trying to get her all pretty for the competition. As he caught his breath, he hoped that not too much of the score came from whether or not the sheep made a lot of noise, because Fuzzy was loud. "We should have named her Ann," he muttered to himself as he rinsed her off, his ears ringing from her bleats.

Claire appeared at the doorway of the barn. "Barley's here!" she called. Cliff brushed Fuzzy a bit more, and led her out the doorway. Barley took over from there, taking the animal back to his farm to prepare for the competition.

The next day, Cliff and Claire arrived in Rose Square to (hopefully) see their sheep win. Almost everyone was there, and the couple mingled with the crowd as the competition got ready to start. They somehow ended up next to Ann and Harris, and made polite but awkward conversation. Ann and Claire were not exactly best friends after they had competed over Cliff last year, but they weren't enemies either, so they tried to get along. As they talked, Claire realized that Ann really was an exuberant and friendly person. They had just really gotten off on the wrong foot.

Suddenly, they heard Manna's voice rising high above the crowd. "Everyone! Everyone! Aja's home!" she shrieked happily, hurrying into the square. Duke was right on her heels, and behind him, the mysterious Aja. She sauntered into the square. Aja looked like a younger version of Manna, except that there was a slightly cruel glint in her eye. Was that always there or did she get that while away, Claire wondered to herself. She couldn't know, because Aja left Mineral Town more than a year before Claire arrived.

Aja's cold glittering blue eyes turned on Harris. "Harris, darling!" she cried, rushing forward to him. He was so shocked, that he couldn't even resist as she flung her arms around his neck. "I'm back, darling!"

Ann was so silent, it was scary. She just stared at the scene with no expression on her face. Harris managed to pull himself free from Aja. "It's been a long time, Aja…why didn't you write back to all those letters I sent you?"

Aja waved her hand carelessly. "I couldn't, darling; you know I'm not good at writing down my feelings. But I'm back now. I've missed you," she purred.

Harris stared at her for a moment, then backed away. "I didn't hear from you for three years…Aja, I've moved on. I'm dating Ann now." Ann just stood still, saying nothing.

Aja waved this away as well. "Oh darling, I expected you to have flings; I did as well. But that's all over, I'm back now, and we can be together again."

Harris's expression darkened. "Fling? Ann is not a fling. I…I love her." Ann's face relaxed slightly, just a hint of surprise and happiness on her face.

Aja looked at Ann and snorted. "Stupid little Ann? The innkeeper's daughter? Really…how can she mean anything to you? I'm the love of your life. You always said so…even in your letters."

Ann's face flushed for a moment, then her eyes welled with tears. Turning abruptly, she ran from Rose Square. Claire hesitated for a moment, then glared at Aja and ran after Ann.

As Claire ran, she realized how absurd it was that she was rushing to comfort the same girl that had caused her anguish last year. But this was definitely different. There was such hate and maliciousness behind Aja's words. Ann had acted like a selfish little child, but there had been no malice in her actions.

Claire caught up to Ann, who had stopped against the fence in front of the inn. She was bawling her eyes out, struggling to catch her breath between her sobs. Claire rushed forward and wrapped her up in her arms, not caring if this was her former rival or not. All she could see right now was another human being in pain.

Ann didn't push her away, just sobbed into her shoulder. Claire just softly murmured "Shhh…it will be okay."

Ann caught her breath and said softly, "I always kind of knew that she might come back. I didn't want to think about it, but I've always been afraid that he's been waiting for her…" she broke off and started crying again.

"He said he loves you…and that you were NOT just a fling…" Claire reminded her.

Ann wiped her eyes. "I know," she hiccupped, "But what if he was just saying that, because people were listening?" She looked at Claire wistfully. "I always seem to be the 'other woman,' huh? I should get used to being rejected."

Claire shook her head. "No, this is very different. Cliff was just a crush you had. Harris…Harris is your boyfriend. You love him and he loves you."

Ann nodded, wiping her eyes again. Just then, Harris barreled around the corner. He sighed with relief when he saw Ann. "Oh Ann," he cried, rushing forward to her. "I'm so sorry that had to happen." Claire let go of Ann and stepped away, so that Harris could scoop her up in his arms. "I used to love her, but that's over now. All I can think of is you. You're the only one I want. I love you."

Ann clung to Harris, still crying softly. Claire backed away tactfully, and made her way back to Rose Square. Cliff was sitting on the bench waiting for her. Claire noted that Manna was loudly admonishing Aja for her behavior at the other end of the square. Aja was rolling her eyes, her arms crossed. Claire guessed that Aja would not be staying in town very much longer after this little scene. Claire sunk down on the bench next to Cliff. He smiled at her. "Wow, you are really something." He poked her in the chest, through her overalls. "You must have a heart of gold in there, going to comfort Ann. I seem to remember you running off crying because of something Ann did once upon a time."

Claire flushed, remembering Winter Thanksgiving. "That was just me being a drama queen. Big deal, she brought you a present. And…that was different because you and I weren't a couple yet. I sure wanted us to be, but nevertheless, that was nothing like what Aja just did. That was hateful." Claire trembled in indignation.

Cliff put his arm around Claire and pulled her in close. "Oh hey," he remembered. "We still have to see if Fuzzy is going to win."

"That's right," Claire smiled. She pulled Cliff by the hand back to the judging area. They waited anxiously as Barley judged the sheep. Cliff hoped that Fuzzy would stay quiet, and luckily she did, even as Barley patted her down and examined her hooves. When the judging was over, Fuzzy was the winner. Claire squealed happily and kissed Cliff, and they accepted the gold medal and prize of one year's worth of fodder, to be delivered later.

Everyone congratulated them on raising such a healthy sheep. Elli made a point of nudging Claire and whispering that having sex in front of the animals didn't seem to have traumatized them too much. Claire just rolled her eyes and shoved Elli away. She glanced over at the north entrance of Rose Square, where Harris and Ann were shyly reentering hand in hand. Claire quickly scanned the crowd and saw that Aja had left, and breathed a sigh of relief. She turned back towards Ann and gave her a little wave and smile. Ann smiled back.

Wow, we might actually turn out to be friends, Claire thought to herself. Wouldn't that be ironic!


	21. End of Fall

Part 21

Part 21

End of Fall

Claire woke up bright and early. Today was the last day of fall. Any remaining fall crops had to have their final harvest, and then the plants themselves had to be cut down. Claire nudged Cliff to wake him up. He groaned and whined. "I don't want to get up yet." Claire rolled her eyes at him, and started to scoot out of bed. "Wait, don't go," he grabbed at her arm. "Let's snuggle." He stretched out his arms for a hug, a needy look in his eyes.

Claire sighed but smiled and shimmied back under the covers and moved up close to him. She pressed her face into his chest, breathing deeply to enjoy his scent. It was half the smell of soap, half something else that she couldn't describe. Claire traced her fingers on his sides, feeling the softness of his shirt. He felt so good in the morning. He was always warmer and softer than usual. Well, most of him was softer. Claire squealed as he thrust his hips against her thigh. "Hey, hey, you said you wanted to snuggle!"

Cliff grinned. "We ARE snuggling. This is snuggling plus."

Claire groaned. "As much as I'd love to, we have a lot of work to do! Did you forget what today is?"

Cliff pouted. "It's Snuggling Day."

Claire made the sound of a buzzer. "Wrong. It's the last day of fall. There should be a lot of yams just ripening today, so we've got to get them harvested and shipped off, then we have to get out the sickle and thresh them to the ground." Claire turned away to start to get up, but Cliff pulled her back in close, spooning her.

"Can't we just leave them? They're just going to freeze up and die anyway. Let the snow take care of them," he said, as he kissed her neck.

His kisses sent thrills through her body, but she still tried to resist. "No! That would look so ugly, all those dead plants encased in ice for the whole season! And then we'd just have to deal with them in spring…and… and…" She lost track of what she was saying as he reached around and slipped his hand into the front of her panties. He massaged there gently, then stretched his fingers further to dance in the wetness that was just starting to seep from her. "Oh…Cliff…" Claire moaned, forgetting all about the work that had to be done.

Cliff touched her for a while more, brushing his lips against her ear and breathing there softly, which caused goosebumps to spread all over her body. Cliff chuckled inwardly. That trick works every time, he thought. Then, he pulled his damp fingers out and used them to ease her panties down onto her thighs. He used his hand to pull his pajama pants just low enough, and then he spread the back of her thighs slightly and pushed himself into her wetness. Claire cried out in pleasure. Cliff just groaned happily as he thrust in and out of her, reaching his hand around to her front to massage her again. Claire tilted her hips back at him. Their movement was limited by their sideways position, but they both were enjoying it greatly nonetheless.

Cliff planted hot kisses all over Claire's neck and shoulders as he stimulated her with his fingers. She moaned and then her breath became slightly ragged as she brought her own fingers on top of his and pressed them in more firmly. She writhed against him, panting with desire. The pace became frenetic as she built up, tensing her body, and then she cried out his name in ecstasy as she climaxed. He groaned and thrust against her until he released as well, whispering her name roughly in her ear. They both shuddered with pleasure, then relaxed. He wrapped his arm tightly around her, giving her a squeeze and planting a kiss on the back of her neck.

Claire sighed. "That was so wonderful…but we still have to take care of the crops."

"Aw, man…" Cliff groaned.

Claire giggled as she pulled away from him, getting out of bed. "I know you have the magic touch, but it doesn't apply to crops. Now come on, get up!"

Cliff groaned some more, but finally rolled out of bed and got dressed. Claire prepared them some simple breakfast, and they ate before heading out into the field. Cliff held the basket and walked alongside Claire as she plucked the last of the yams from the plants, then tossed them in the basket. When it got full, Cliff would heft it over to the shipping bin and pour it in, then go back for more. Once the plants were picked clean, Cliff got out the sickle and swiped the crops down. Claire got a rake and dragged the refuse off into a large pile on the edge of the farm.

Claire thought of something. "Hey, today is Pumpkin Day. Stu , May, and Popuri, came by last year, demanding candy first thing in the morning. They didn't come by today. I wonder why?"

Cliff shrugged. "Of course Popuri is off traveling with Kai…but as for Stu and May…maybe they decided they were too old for it now." Claire agreed that he was probably right.

When the work was all done, they were both pretty exhausted. They went inside and got a shower together, and then Claire put on one of Cliff's T-shirts with nothing underneath, and curled up on the bed for a nap. Cliff joined her after a while, moving in close and pulling the covers over both of them.

When he woke up about an hour later, Claire was still sleeping soundly. He eased out of bed so as not to wake her, and then went in the kitchen. He looked at the clock. It was about 6pm. He grinned to himself, deciding to surprise her by making dinner. He wasn't a very good cook, but he wasn't horrible either. He decided to make spaghetti.

A few minutes later, there was a knock at the door. Cliff raised his eyebrows and went to answer it. As he swung the door open, his ears were assaulted with the high-pitched voices of children yelling. "Trick or Treat!" Stu and May called out in unison.

"Oh, heh heh…hello, you two. Don't you usually come in the mornings?"

Stu nodded. "Yeah, but Popuri wrote us a letter that said in the town she is at now, the custom is to ask for candy at night."

May piped up. "And you have to yell 'Trick or Treat!'"

Stu nodded. "Mmm hmm. And if you don't give us a treat, then we have to play a trick on you."

May spoke quickly. "I don't want to do that part though. That's not nice."

Cliff grinned. "Well, you don't have to worry about it, because I've got a treat for you." He had already spied some chocolate sitting on the kitchen table. Claire must have set it aside the night before in preparation for this day. He handed them both a piece, and they cheered.

Suddenly, Cliff heard a sleepy voice behind him. "Cliff? Who's that?" He turned and there was Claire, rubbing her eyes. She still couldn't see the children at the door, and she yawned and stretched her arms over her head. Cliff's eyes bugged out as the shirt lifted over her hips, revealing that she had nothing on underneath. She dropped her arms and the shirt covered her once again. He glanced back at the children, sweating nervously.

Fortunately, the children's lower eye level was blocked by the kitchen table, because they had no hint that they had seen anything. "Hi, Big Sister!" Stu yelled. "Thanks for the candy!"

Claire shrieked, surprised that children were there. She tugged her shirt down lower over her hips. Cliff caught her eye and mouthed "It's okay." Her eyes still showed panic, and she kept pulling the shirt lower. "Oh…oh…you're welcome," she managed to say.

May frowned as they turned to go. "I don't like doing Pumpkin Day at night. Adults are all sleepy then."

Stu nodded. "No, but my big sis and Doctor were awake when we went in there. They didn't answer the door, so we had to just go in, and they were wrestling on the couch." He grinned innocently, and then they walked away.

Cliff and Claire looked at each other, and bit their lips to keep from laughing. Cliff thought of something and called out after the children. "Hey, don't go to the Poultry Farm today, okay? They, uh, they're out of candy," he fibbed, trying to keep them from walking in on Karen and Rick's "wrestling" and being scarred for life!

Stu and May just nodded and waved goodbye.


	22. First Snowfall

Chapter 22

Chapter 22

First Snowfall

Sure enough, on the very first day of winter, snow fell on Mineral Town. The temperature dropped drastically, and people had to bundle up to go outdoors. Cliff and Claire were two such bundled up people, Claire making her way to the chicken coop to check on her birds, and Cliff heading to the barn to take care of the livestock.

They finished up their chores, and then returned to the farmhouse to warm up. As they washed their hands in the sink, Claire beamed at Cliff. "Let's have hot chocolate!" He happily agreed. Claire got a small saucepan out and placed a brick of chocolate in it, melting it just slightly on the stove. Then she added some of the fresh cream that Cliff had just brought in, and whisked them together. Once the mixture was hot enough, she carefully poured it into mugs, and they settled on the couch together.

Cliff carefully sipped the hot liquid. "Ah…it's the first day of winter. Do you remember the first day of winter last year?"

Claire nodded. "Of course I do. That's the day you ended up here." She thought back for a moment, sipping her hot chocolate. "You looked so terribly sad; it just about broke my heart. I felt so sorry for you, I had to do something."

Cliff fiddled with his mug. "Claire…when you asked me to stay, did you really need a farmhand or…" he trailed off.

"Or what? Was it just because I felt sorry for you? Well, honestly, it was a little bit of both, and…" she smiled and bit her lip.

Cliff grinned. "And you had the hots for me?"

Claire blushed a little. "Yes! I…I always saw you around town, and I thought you were so cute. Shy… sad… awkward, and …pretty." Cliff smiled at that. Claire continued. "I wanted to get to know you, but I didn't know how to begin. I mean, Carter made us introduce ourselves. But then he made us have that awkward dinner together at the church, and you seemed so miserable. I figured that you weren't interested in me at all. Plus, I had heard that Ann had a crush on you, and since you spent so much time at the inn, I figured I didn't have a chance." Claire sighed. "But I got lucky, and you just walked right onto my farm."

Cliff leaned in and gave her a little kiss. "I'm so glad I chose to walk past your farm to get out of town and not the other way. Just imagine if I hadn't walked by you."

Claire shivered. "I don't want to," and she cuddled up to him.

Cliff turned to look at the window. "It's snowing hard." He looked at her slyly. "Do you remember the snowstorm?"

"Do I? Oh my god, how could I forget? That was so incredible." Claire sighed, thinking about it.

Cliff traced his fingers on her arm. "I was so nervous…but I wanted you so badly, I couldn't stop myself." He kissed her neck softly.

"Yeah, and you haven't stopped yet!" Claire laughed.

Cliff pulled away, his eyes wide and innocent. He put his hands in his lap primly, and scooted away from her slightly. "Oh? Do you want me to stop?"

Claire laughed, "No, of course not," and tried to get closer to him, but he moved away again.

"No, I think I bother you too much. I need to quit that." Cliff sulked. Claire could tell he was just playing with her, but it still vexed her. She tried to reach out to him, but he stood up abruptly, taking his empty mug to the sink. "No, no, you're right, I need to change my ways. I think about sex way too much." He washed the mug while Claire pouted.

"I didn't say that…" she whined quietly.

The game went on all night. Cliff didn't touch Claire. He wasn't being mean, on the contrary, he was acting very polite, TOO polite; but it upset her nonetheless. Still, she wanted to beat him at his own game. While he was in the living room reading a book, she went into the bedroom and rummaged through her lingerie drawer. She came out with a red silk nightie, which she quickly slipped into with nothing on underneath. She went back out into the living room. She saw his eyes flash when he saw her, but he kept playing his game, and went back to the book like she was no big deal. Claire huffed to herself a little, but was undeterred.

She crossed the room slowly and kneeled on the couch next to him. He raised an eyebrow but continued to ignore her. She stretched out, leaning over his body, to grab a book that was on the end table. She heard him gasp just slightly as the nightie brushed against him, but he still made no move to touch her. She settled back down on her knees, placing the book to the side, and stretched her arms over her head. She arched her back so that her chest poked forward. "Mmmm…I think I'm going to get in bed."

Cliff squirmed a little, but managed to say, "Okay, good night." Claire fumed internally, but managed not to show it. She stood up and pretended to drop the book. "Ooops!" she said, and bent down at the waist to pick it up, giving Cliff a full view. She came back up and tossed her hair over her shoulder, glancing back at him. He looked dumbfounded, but he realized she was trying to get him to cave, so he just sniffed and went back to reading.

Claire stomped off to the bedroom. "Ooooh!" she cried out, frustrated, as she got in bed. As she lay there and sulked, she realized how much she had taken his passion for her for granted. Sure, she went along with it and enjoyed every bit of it, but she always teased him like he was always the instigator. So now he was teasing her, making her see what it would feel like if he wasn't as horny all the time. Claire made a sad face, realizing how miserable that would be.

Claire threw off the bedcovers and went back out to the living room. Cliff was still sitting there, but the book was laid aside, and he almost looked ill from having to hold in his desire. He looked up at her with a stricken look on his face, and she rushed forward, straddling him and kissing him hungrily. He moaned as she moved her kisses over his neck, and he let his hands wander over her. "Oh, Cliff, Cliff, I want you, I need you!" she gasped.

She worked frantically at his pants, getting them unzipped and then she practically ripped them off. "Please, please, please! I have to have you!" she begged. Absolute delight was all over Cliff's face from seeing his wife acting so desperate. He let her pull off his boxers, and then he gasped as she straddled him again, taking him inside with one quick motion.

She grinded her body against him. She was so worked up that it didn't take her long before she was climaxing, shuddering hard, her whole body trembling in ecstasy. Cliff groaned happily, and then thrust upwards into her, releasing inside of her.

They both gasped and panted for a while, then Claire relaxed her body against his. He stroked her hair lovingly. "Gee, I ought to tease you more often. I liked hearing you beg,"

Claire pinched him playfully. "Please don't. That was sheer misery!" She brought her face to his and kissed him sweetly. "I like you the way you are. Please don't ever stop!"

Cliff just nodded happily, satisfied that he had taught her a lesson.


	23. Bath Time

Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Winter had grown even colder. Cliff shoveled snow away from the edges of the house, trying to clear things up a bit. Mary and Gray came by to see the animals, and they all had a nice visit together as well.

Claire got done with her outside chores before Cliff did, and set to work cleaning the house. She hummed happily as she worked, tidying up everything. While cleaning the window, she looked out and saw Cliff going to put up the snow shovel. She hurried into the bathroom and uncovered the large Japanese style bath tub, and began to fill it with very warm water. Then she went back out to greet him as he came in. She kissed him sweetly, helping him out of his coat, and said "Let's take a bath together."

Cliff grinned at the idea, both for the chance to get warm and the chance to get naked with his wife. They went into the bathroom together and shed their clothes, giggling a little. They slipped into the steaming tub together, and settled in. They just relaxed for a while, getting used to the hot water. Then Cliff pulled Claire close, and turned her around. "Let me wash your hair." Claire smiled and leaned back, dipping her head into the water to saturate it fully. Then she came back up, and Cliff got a palmful of shampoo, and set to work. He lathered her head gently, raking his fingers through her long blonde hair, and it felt just wonderful. He massaged his fingers into her scalp, and she sighed happily. Then, he leaned her back down into the water, rinsing out the suds. She came back up once more, and he worked a large amount of conditioner through her hair as well, which she then rinsed off.

When that was finished, Claire turned around to face him. "Now, let me shampoo YOUR hair." Cliff nodded happily and turned around. Claire picked at the piece of string holding his ponytail together, and finally worked the knot loose. His long brown hair fell down over his shoulders, the blonde tips just reaching the middle of his back. Claire played with the ends of his hair for a moment, pondering them. "Your hair is so unusual. Why is it blonde at the tips? I thought when I met you that you must have dyed it blonde a while back, and it was growing out, but it's still like that."

Cliff shrugged. "I don't know…it's always been like that. I guess my hair lightens a little in the sun during the summer, and the ends have been around the longest, so they're the lightest part of my hair." He leaned back into the water, his hair swirling in front of Claire. He came back up with his head dripping, and Claire got some shampoo and started to work. She played with his long bangs, pulling them back and lathering them up with the rest of his hair.

"Do you think you'll ever cut your hair?" she asked him.

Cliff mused this. "Maybe. I like it like this though. Don't you like it?" He suddenly sounded worried.

"I love your hair," Claire reassured him. "I don't want you to cut it, but if you wanted to, then I'm sure I'd like that too. Why did you grow out your hair long in the first place?"

Cliff laughed. "Well, before I came to Mineral Town, I had been wandering for about two years. Getting a haircut is not at the top of your priorities when you're a drifter. And then…I just got used to it, so I didn't make any effort to get it cut." Cliff leaned back, letting Claire rinse his hair out. She then applied conditioner to his wet tresses. She slid her hands over his hair, spreading the slick substance all over. Cliff spoke up again. "Do you like the way it looks down better, or in a ponytail?"

"Well, I do like either, but I like the ponytail better." She urged him to dunk his head again to rinse the conditioner. He came back up, wiping the water from his eyes. "Yeah, I like my ponytail too."

Claire then got the washcloth and soaped it up, moving all his hair over one shoulder so she could wash his back. She gently rubbed the washcloth on his neck and shoulders, then on his arms and down his back. She took her time, making small circles over his skin. He relaxed, leaning forward slightly and enjoying her touch. Finally, she rinsed out the cloth and used it to rinse the soap away from his skin.

"Okay, your turn," Cliff said, and they both rotated their bodies so that he was now facing her back. He moved her hair out of the way, then soaped up her back, scrubbing softly across her body. After a while, he reached around with the washcloth and clamped one breast with it. "Heh heh…" he laughed slyly. Claire just laughed too and let him do what he wanted.

When he finally finished, she said, "Wow, I don't think my chest has ever been this clean before!" Cliff just laughed again and rinsed her body off. She leaned back into him, and he leaned back against the back of the tub. They relaxed in the water for while longer, then got out together, drying each other off and getting into their bathrobes.

They went into the bedroom and lay down on the bed facing each other, still warm and damp. Cliff stretched out and untied her bathrobe, then parted it gently. He traced his fingers over her skin, gazing at her lovingly. Claire moved closer to him and kissed him, wrapping one leg around his hips. He pressed into her, opening his own bathrobe with one hand, and then he wriggled out of it and threw it aside. Claire shed her bathrobe as well, and Cliff moved on top of her, parting her thighs with one knee. He eased his hips between hers and moved inside of her. They both sighed happily and moved together, the pleasure building up rapidly. Cliff got his signal and pressed more firmly against her with short, precise movements, and she cried out in ecstasy as he made her climax. His delight at causing her such pleasure brought him over the edge, and he groaned deeply as he released, spilling inside of her.

They lay happily, their still wet hair dampening the pillows. They kissed and then held each other until they fell asleep, completely relaxed and blissful.


	24. In Sickness and In Health

Chapter 24

In Sickness and In Health

Cliff was woken in the middle of the night by Claire getting out of bed. He listened to her pad quietly into the kitchen, open a cabinet, turn on the sink, and then come back in just as quietly. He whispered through the darkness to her. "Are you okay, honey?"

Claire's voice sounded a little scratchy. "My throat hurts," she whispered back. "Maybe I was just thirsty, so I drank a little water. It'll probably feel fine when I wake up in the morning."

But, when Claire awoke in the morning, it did not feel all better. In fact, it felt much worse. She tried to play it off like it wasn't that bad, but Cliff could tell that she didn't really feel well, so he made her stay in bed. "You can't go out in the cold if you're sick." Claire tried to protest, but he cut her off. "No, I'm not going to let you. I can take care of everything today." He tucked her back into bed and smiled down on her sweetly. "You just rest, and I'll get you some breakfast." He kissed her forehead and went out in the kitchen.

Once he got there, he hesitated for a moment, pondering what the best thing to give her was if she didn't feel good. Claire had never really been sick before, so he wasn't sure. He finally settled on hot tea and oatmeal, which he prepared with just a little difficulty, burning himself twice. He made enough for himself too, and then took it into her, sitting cross legged on the bed with her and eating as well. She thanked him profusely after they finished, and then tried to convince him she was well enough to go outside. He just shook his head and took her empty dish. She laid back on the bed and pouted.

When he returned to check on her, however, Claire had fallen back asleep. Cliff quietly put on his coat and shoes, then slipped out to tend to the animals. After he finished, he went back in to check on her. She was still sound asleep, but she had a pained look on her face, and her hair was wet around her face. He quickly warmed his hands and then felt her forehead. Just as he had thought, she was burning up. Cliff went to the bathroom and got a washcloth wet, then wrung it out. He laid it across Claire's forehead, remembering faintly that his mother had done that to him when he had a fever once. Claire stirred a little as he placed the cool material, but did not wake.

Cliff decided it was time to visit the Doctor. He whispered where he was going to Claire, just in case she could hear, and then departed. Before long, he reached the Clinic. Elli and Doctor were surprised to see him by himself, and he explained about Claire's illness. Doctor nodded. "That seems to be going around right now. Stu and May both have it, as well as everyone at the supermarket. Here, I'll give you the same kind of medicine that they're all taking." Elli went to fetch it, and came back holding a small glass bottle filled with a thick purple liquid. "This should help with the pain, and bring down her fever," Doctor told Cliff. "Just one teaspoonful every four hours."

Cliff nodded, absorbing the information. Elli put it in a paper bag for him, and promised to come by later with soup. Cliff was relieved, because the one dish he could make, spaghetti, didn't seem appropriate now. He thanked them and went on his way.

On the way back, he stopped in at Aja Winery. Manna greeted him happily, and started to launch into one of her epic stories, but Cliff cut her off as politely as he could, only concerned about his wife. "Manna, I know you guys sometimes get other fruits shipped in to make special juices. Do you have any oranges?" She nodded, telling him he was in luck, and he explained that Claire was sick and he wanted to make orange juice for her. In his travels, he had come across a town where there were several orange groves, and had taken on some odd jobs there for money. The owner had told him that she always got over illnesses quickly because she drank orange juice every day. Manna gave him a bag with about 8 oranges in it, and Cliff moved a hand to his pocket, to motion to pay, but Manna waved it off. "Just tell Claire I hope she gets well soon." Cliff thanked her, and returned home.

Claire was awake when he went in the house. She had laid the wet cloth aside, and was sitting up slightly. He went to her and told her about the things he had gotten. Claire smiled weakly but gratefully at him. Cliff got a spoon and shakily measured out the medicine, then gave it to her. Claire made a slight face as she swallowed it, but didn't complain. Cliff then went into the kitchen. He got a knife and sliced two of the oranges in half, then squeezed them out as much as he could into a bowl. He poured the resulting juice into a glass, and took it to Claire. She accepted it happily, pleased that he went to so much trouble for her. She drank it all down, then he tucked her back in. He took the cloth and rewet it, then placed it back on her forehead to cool her fever. He hoped that the medicine would do its job as well.

Claire fell back asleep quickly, and Cliff watched her sleep. Even in sickness, she was so beautiful to him. He couldn't imagine being with anyone else. He watched her for a while more, then went into the living room, settling down on the couch with a book.

A few hours later, there was a quiet knock at the door. It was Elli, delivering soup as promised. She went in and ministered to her best friend, acting very nurse like as she fluffed the pillows and took her temperature. Claire accepted the soup and ate slowly. Elli turned to go. She spoke to Cliff, "How long has it been since you gave her that medicine?"

Cliff glanced at the clock. "Almost four hours."

"Good, then give her another dose when she gets finished eating. And there's enough soup for you as well. Call us at the Clinic if you need anything else." Elli lowered her voice. "Take care of my girl. And this should go without saying, but since it's you, I'll tell you anyway. No sex! She needs to rest."

Cliff blushed and looked at the ground. "I wasn't going to bother her with that," he said sheepishly.

Elli folded her arms. "Sure you weren't. Anyway, don't. I'll see you later."

After Elli left, Cliff ate some soup as well. Claire finished hers, and he gave her some more of the medicine. He cleared up the dishes, then went back to Claire. "Do you need anything?" Claire shook her head, then smiled and laid back down. She was already starting to look a little better, but not much. Cliff went back to reading his book, and soon it was time for bed. He took a shower and got into his pajamas, then slid into bed next to her. He found her hand under the covers and squeezed it. "Good night, Claire. I love you." He rolled on his side towards her, and tried to fall asleep.

He couldn't though, and he laid awake for quite some time. Claire's voice came to him out of the darkness. "Cliff? Do you need something…?"

Cliff fidgeted. "No…" although he knew full well what he needed.

Claire stretched out one small hand and stroked him below the waist. "Do you need this?"

Cliff groaned happily, and as much as it pained him, he moved her hand away. "Urg…Elli told me we can't do that until you're better. You need to use all your strength for getting well."

Claire giggled softly, her voice still slightly scratchy. "That Elli. Still…maybe if you do all the work, it won't be bad for me."

Cliff trembled a little. "You mean…?"

"Mmm hmm. I think it would be…kind of sexy. You just do it and I'll be right here." She reached out and tucked his bangs behind his ears.

Cliff hesitated a little, slightly embarrassed, but very thrilled. He hadn't done it in so long, since Claire kept him completely satisfied. He worked his pajama pants and boxers below his hips, and started stroking himself. The bed shook slightly from the movement, and Claire sighed happily. She traced her hand down his neck and over his shoulders, encouraging him to continue. They could just barely see each other in the moonlight, and her eyes were locked on what he was doing. He grunted as the pressure built up. It wasn't as good as being inside of her, but it was really arousing to him that she wanted to see him do this. He closed his eyes and bit his lip in concentration as he brought himself close to the edge, then he realized he was going to need something first. He opened his eyes again, and saw Claire holding out a balled up tissue, that she must have been holding onto in case she needed to sneeze. Cliff gave a short laugh as he took it from her with his free hand. Claire always thought of everything. He gritted his teeth and refocused, and in seconds he was releasing, waves of pleasure washing over his body. He caught his breath, and Claire took the tissue away from him, dropping it in the wastebasket. She cuddled up close to him, her heavy breathing showing that she had enjoyed watching him, and they fell asleep together.

Two days later, Claire was well again. She buzzed around the house with renewed vigor, happy to feel like herself again. That night, as they were eating dinner, Cliff made a face as he swallowed his food. "What's wrong, honey?" Claire asked him. "Does it taste bad?"

Cliff shook his head. "Your curry never tastes bad. It just tastes really spicy or something. My throat is kind of burning."

Claire groaned. "Oh honey, I hope you're not getting sick now."

Cliff grinned and kept eating. "Nah, I don't get sick."

Early the next morning, Claire was awoken by Cliff making pitiful noises. Just as she had predicted, he was sick. Claire soon learned that her husband being sick was a very pathetic thing. He whined and moaned about how bad he felt, and was a very difficult patient. She realized that because he was never sick, he was very intolerant of any kind of discomfort.

Cliff struggled to sit up as she brought him a steaming bowl of carrot soup. His long brown hair was loose, a tangled mess, matted with feverish sweat. "I think I'm dying," he moaned as he took the soup bowl from her.

"You're not dying, silly; you're just sick. You'll get better soon," Claire assured him.

"I want to get better now," he whined. Claire just patted him on the head and went to get the bottle of medicine that was left over from her illness. She came back just as he was setting the empty soup bowl on the nightstand. He spotted the bottle of medicine in her hand, and slid back down in bed, hiding under the covers. "Come on, you have to take this," Claire urged him.

"No." Cliff's muffled voice said from under the covers.

Claire shook her head, coming forward and pulling the covers back sharply. He whined and crossed his arms. "Don't you want to get better?" she asked him. He nodded, pouting. "Then you have to take this. It tastes bad, but you'll get better faster."

Cliff sulked for a while longer, and then finally let her give some to him. He whimpered pitifully as he swallowed it, then pulled the covers over himself again. "Now I really am dying," he whined.

Claire just laughed lightly, pulling the covers back enough to kiss him on the head. She cleared away the dishes. When she came back to check on him, he was sound asleep. She smiled and curled up on the couch, watching TV.

A few hours later, she heard him whining from the bedroom. She went to see what he wanted. Cliff had the covers pulled up over his nose, so that just his eyes were visible. He looked at her with puppy dog eyes, and whispered, "Will you make me some hot chocolate?" Claire smiled and nodded, and she could tell by his eyes that he was smiling too. She prepared enough for both of them, then she snuggled under the covers with him and they sipped it together. When they finished, much to his dismay, she presented him with another dose of medicine, but he took it with less protest this time.

That night, Claire changed into her pajamas and slipped into bed with him. "Good night, honey. I love you," she whispered, kissing him on the forehead. She tried to fall asleep, but she could feel him fidgeting, and then he sighed loudly. "What's wrong, honey?" she asked.

"I'm horny," he whined. "But I feel so weak."

Claire stroked his arm. "It's okay. When you get better, we can have all the sex you want, all right?"

"But…but, I'm horny NOW." He grabbed her hand and placed it on his hardness to prove his point.

Claire giggled and said, "I see that. Well…how about I do all of the work this time?" Cliff agreed happily, and Claire quickly removed her pajamas, then tugged off his pajama pants and boxers. She straddled him, and slid his length inside of her carefully. Cliff groaned, and started to thrust up into her. Claire corrected him. "I said I'd do all the work. Don't move." Cliff stilled his hips, and Claire worked herself up and down on him. He sighed in pleasure. She moved in close on him, swiveling her hips slightly, building up pressure. It took a little longer than usually without him doing his thing, but in just a few minutes Claire was able to reach a satisfying climax. Feeling her release resonating into his body was just what he needed, and he bucked his hips upwards as he cried out in ecstasy, spilling inside of her.

His illness-weakened body trembled even more than usual as he recovered, and Claire helped him back into his pajama pants, then put on her own. She pulled the covers over them and snuggled close to him. They both sighed happily, and Cliff didn't whine any more that night.


	25. Second Winter Thanksgiving

Chapter 25

Second Winter Thanksgiving

As Claire carefully measured out ingredients, she chuckled to herself about how different this year was from the last Winter Thanksgiving. Cliff was just her farm hand, and she had given him a small piece of chocolate, while Ann, her rival for his affections, had brought a beautiful chocolate cake (which turned out to be horrible tasting, and Cliff threw it away.) This year, Cliff was her husband, and hopefully she would be the only one gifting him with chocolate this year, in the form of a triple layer dark chocolate cake with chocolate mousse inside. It was a very complicated recipe, but she was determined to pull it off. Cliff, sensing something good was up, graciously took over all the farm chores that day, steering clear of the house as much as he could.

It took almost three hours, but it was finally done! Claire inspected it critically. It was just a little lopsided, but she was sure that it tasted good (the exact opposite of how Ann's cakes were: beautiful on the outside, frightening on the inside.) She nodded approvingly, and opened the front door, leaning out onto the porch. She peered out at the white landscape, looking for Cliff. She spotted him by the firewood pile, and waved to him to let him know he could come in. He grinned and hustled towards the house.

Claire greeted him with a small kiss, and backed into the house, blocking his view of the cake for now. "Okay, it's not perfect, but I really, really tried, so I hope you like it." She stepped to the side and let him see the cake.

He smiled happily at her. "It looks wonderful. Thank you, honey." He gathered her up in his arms and kissed her sweetly.

Claire smiled up at him. "It has chocolate mousse inside…"

Cliff's eyes flashed at the mention of his very favorite dessert. "Can we…eat some right now?" he asked eagerly.

"Sure," Claire laughed and rummaged in the drawer for a cake knife. She emerged with one and cut him a large slice. He urged her to have some too, so she cut herself a smaller slice. They sat together and started to eat. Cliff moaned at the first bite, telling Claire that it was wonderful. He ended up cleaning his plate, and then having a second slice.

Claire bit her lip and looked at him. "Was it better than Ann's cakes?"

Cliff laughed heartily. "You can't even compare them! That was pure heaven. The last time I ate any of Ann's cakes, which is fortunately so long ago that I've almost managed to forget the experience, I remember it was a sugary, gritty, slimy mess with the flavor of a moldy kitchen sponge, " he shuddered a little at the memory. Claire giggled. Cliff looked at her, giving his signature pitiful look that managed to get him most anything he wanted from her. "You should make that more often…"

Claire shook her head. "It took three hours to make!" Cliff looked at her pitifully once more. Claire caved. "Okay, maybe I'll make it again soon. I'll definitely make it for your birthday, okay?"

Cliff groaned. "But that's like half a year away!" Claire just laughed and shrugged.

That night, they decided to do something a little different. They bundled up and set out for the inn. When they walked in, Ann was leaning over a table that her boyfriend Harris sat at, drinking grape juice (he was on duty, after all.) She smiled at him lovingly, but turned to greet Cliff and Claire as they came in. Ann cleared off a small table for them, and took their drink orders. Cliff and Claire decided to have some wine. They didn't usually drink, but they felt like having a little fun tonight.

They got their drinks, and looked around. Karen and Rick sat at the bar. Karen was already pretty drunk, gesturing wildly, her face red. Rick just laughed at her jokes, one hand behind his head. Duke sat on the other side of Karen, his cheery face showing that perhaps they had been having a drinking contest not long ago. Doug just watched them as he polished empty mugs.

Zack and Won walked in then. Their body language didn't give away that they were a couple, calmly sitting down on opposite sides of a table, but Claire knew from her best friend Elli's eyewitness account that the two were definitely together. They ordered two beers, and chatted happily.

Ann approached them with two plates, plunking them down under their noses. "W-what's this?" Claire asked tremulously, looking down at the beautiful yet sinister looking slices of cake.

"It's the Winter Thanksgiving cake I made for Harris. He's so sweet, he told me I should share it with all the customers. Isn't that selfless of him?" Claire and Cliff nodded, mute with fear. Ann turned around to serve more slices to other customers, and Claire caught Harris's eye from across the room. She scowled and pointed down at the cake. Harris shrugged sheepishly and mouthed "Sorry."

Claire just sniffed and turned back to Cliff. She lowered her voice. "What…what are we supposed to do with this?"

Cliff looked scared. "If we don't eat it, she'll get mad. But if we do, we might die." He looked around. "I really wish the inn had a dog right now."

"Cliff, no! That would be animal cruelty!" Claire laughed.

"Well, this is human cruelty," he sulked, poking at the cake with his fork. "Okay, here goes…" he broke off a very tiny piece and brought it to his mouth. Claire watched, breathless. Cliff chewed it and swallowed with a queasy looking grimace. He took a long drink of his wine, coughing a little. "Uh… yeah, it's even worse than expected. Don't you dare eat yours."

Claire made a face. "I wasn't going to. Oh no…" she sighed, pondering what to do with the cake.

Karen abruptly stood up from the bar and weaved her way over to Cliff and Claire's table. She pulled the chair out with a loud scrape, and plopped herself crookedly in the chair. "Well, lookee here! You guys came out of your love nest long enough to come by and have a drink. Thash so cute!" She grinned at them, a blonde highlighted lock of hair falling over one eye. She looked at their almost untouched desserts. "Oh my god, isn't that cake so good? Ann already gave me a piece, and I just wolfed it down."

Claire smiled broadly, pushing her plate towards Karen. "Would you like some more? We're…we're not hungry," she explained, fibbing. Karen eagerly dove into the cake, and Cliff silently pushed his plate forward as well. Karen ate both slices hungrily, then washed it down with a long swig of beer. Cliff sighed in relief, and Claire just grinned, happy that the "problem" was taken care of.

Rick had been watching nervously, but got up the courage to come over and join them. He wasn't as shameless as Karen, and he still felt very embarrassed about being seen naked by them during the summer. He smiled goofily, then stared down into his mug. Karen roared with laughter at his bashfulness. "Ish okay, Rick! They don't care about that! Big deal! They're married, it's nothing Claire hadn't seen before!" Cliff squeezed Claire's hand under the table, the unspoken message being that Rick's pale, ginger body was unlike anything either of them had ever seen or hoped to ever have to see again!

But, with some effort, the unfortunate scene at the pond was put aside. The four of them managed to lapse into easy conversation. Rick told funny stories about when they all were kids, and they all laughed and laughed. Before long, it was closing time. Cliff and Claire stood to go, both staggering a little in surprise at how tipsy they had become over the course of the night. They bundled up and stumbled out into the frozen night hand in hand, giggling as they made their way back home.

When they got in the front door, they began kissing, their hands working busily at each other's winter wear, pulling it off and letting it fall where it may. They made their way to the bedroom, where they stumbled into bed together. They were already half-naked, and Cliff rolled towards Claire. "Mmmm, honey, touch it…" he sighed. She complied, working one hand over his hardness. "Ohhhh…" he moaned in pleasure. "Your hands are so soft." They continued to fool around, and he brought his hand down the front of her panties, making her writhe against him. He snatched her panties off, and she clambered on top of him, facing him. "No, let's try it the other way," Cliff said.

Claire peered down at him in the darkness, confused. "What…other way…?" She started to get a little apprehensive until he whispered an explanation to her, and she happily climbed off and then climbed back on facing away from him. The different angle, the slight buzz they still had from the wine, and the thrill of trying something new, had them both gasping and giggling with excitement. "I see…why they call it…reverse cowgirl!" Claire shrieked happily as Cliff bucked her up and down with his hips. She leaned forward and grabbed onto his thighs so that she wouldn't fall off. He grasped her waist from behind to steady her, and then pressed upwards into her with long, powerful thrusts. Claire moaned in pleasure, tightening her muscles and enjoying the unusual friction. Soon, she tensed her whole body and then released, trembling with ecstasy. The feeling of her shuddering on him pushed Cliff over the edge, making him grit his teeth and cry out her name, spilling inside of her.

They caught their breath, sighing happily, and Claire carefully climbed off of Cliff. They made a pitiful effort to redress themselves in the dark, then finally gave up, collapsing in satisfied sleep.

The next morning, Cliff rolled over in bed. He looked at his wife, who was sleeping face down, hair rumpled, wearing nothing but his boxers. He looked down at himself and saw that all he was wearing was a T-shirt, with nothing on bottom, and Claire's panties were around his elbow. He laughed quietly as he pulled them off, and wrapped an arm around Claire, snuggling in close to her. She cracked her eyes open, squinting in the harsh morning light. She smiled at him, then stretched and rolled over. She squeaked when she looked down at herself. "Wow, we sure look like we had fun last night, huh?" Cliff just laughed and snuggled her a little closer.


	26. Snowy, Starry Night

It was their second Starry Night together. Claire had just cleared away the dishes, and she was now looking out the window. The snow fell down heavily, and it looked like they would have to pass on the traditional Starry Night walk for couples. Claire was a little disappointed, and she sighed heavily.

Cliff came up behind her and kissed her on the back of the head. "Sorry, honey. Looks like we'll have to stay in tonight." His hands reached around and slid up and down her body.

Claire giggled. "Oh, and I know you're SO disappointed!"

Cliff put on a mock devastated expression. "I am. I truly am. I would so much rather be out hiking in that blizzard, than curled up in a warm bed with my wife." He spun her around and planted a kiss on her lips. "But really, honey, dinner was wonderful. The white curry was amazing, and thank you for making chocolate mousse again. So I wouldn't say that Starry Night was ruined…besides, I have a surprise for you now."

Claire's curiosity was piqued, and she allowed him to lead her by the hand to sit on the couch. He bent and reached underneath the couch, emerging with a small package. Claire raised an eyebrow. "So that's your hiding place. Well, well, well…"

Cliff grinned. "Just for this time. Next time, I'll hide stuff somewhere different." His expression changed as he handed her the box. He looked a little nervous. Claire accepted it, running her fingers over the pink ribbon. She untied it and then tore carefully at the white paper. Underneath was a black velvet hinged box. She opened it slowly and then gasped.

Inside lay a ring. The band was intricately carved silver, with a delicate aquamarine set in the center. Claire looked back up at Cliff, happy tears in her eyes. "Oh, Cliff…"

He smiled. "Then you like it?"

"Yes, I love it!" Claire carefully removed the ring from the box, and slid it on the ring finger of her right hand. Her left hand ring finger already featured her engagement ring and wedding band. "It fits perfectly," she said, admiring it. Then she looked up. "Oh, but I didn't get you anything…"

Cliff smiled. "I didn't expect anything. But…I can think of something I'd like…"

Claire played dumb. "Oh, a hike in the snow?"

He leaned forward and kissed her neck. "No…"

She guessed again. "Swimming lessons from Rick?"

Cliff gagged, sticking out his tongue. "Blech! No!" He then laughed, continuing to kiss her neck. "Let's go in the bedroom, and I'll tell you." So they went, hand in hand. Cliff sat on the bed, and instructed Claire to put on something sexy. "Something really silky, like that blue thing and the matching panties. I won't look." He made a big deal out of covering his eyes while Claire found the lingerie in question and slipped out of her clothes and into them.

"All right, you can look now…" Claire said softly.

Cliff uncovered his eyes and looked her up and down approvingly. "Yes, that's perfect. Now, lay down on the bed." He patted the spot next to him. Claire rolled her eyes, giggling, and did as told. Cliff leaned over her, adjusting the pillows so that she was propped up slightly. He moved in close, whispering her ear. "Now…I want to watch you touch yourself."

Claire blushed furiously. "What?" she asked, her pulse quickening. "But…oh, I'd look so silly." She covered her face with her hands.

Cliff slid one hand over her bare thigh. "I don't think so…I want to see it," he encouraged her.

Claire uncovered her face. She squirmed and giggled nervously. "I don't know…" She still looked doubtful.

"Please?" Cliff whispered, desire burning in his eyes.

Claire could rarely bring herself to say no to anything he asked for, and this was no exception. She took a deep breath, readjusted herself on the pillow, then shut her eyes tightly. She brought one small hand to her stomach, and laid it there for a moment, getting her courage up. Cliff watched eagerly, licking his lips in anticipation. Then Claire's hand moved again, coming to rest on the silky surface of her panties. Cliff's mouth opened, and his breathing became heavy, as she gingerly traced her fingers over herself. The new ring he had given her twinkled as her hand moved. She used the tips of her fingers to press in deeper, tilting her head back and releasing a soft sigh. Cliff could feel himself getting hard as he watched her move her hand in a small circle, slowly building up speed.

After a while, her eyes fluttered open and she looked at Cliff, who was stroking himself through his pants as he watched her, mesmerized. She smiled bashfully and he brought his eyes to meet hers. Claire wriggled out of her panties while asking "Do you want to…?" Cliff swallowed hard, but shook his head. "Not yet…I want to see a little bit more."

Claire sighed happily, her cheeks flushed. She watched him watch her through half closed eyes as she brought her fingers back down, tracing them on her now bare skin. Cliff groaned deeply and gripped his throbbing, aching hardness as he saw how wet she was. Never taking his eyes off her, he unbuttoned and unzipped his pants, and pulled them and his boxers off as quickly as he could. His hand caught himself again, stroking hungrily as he watched her slip one tiny finger inside of her wetness. It was almost too much for him to take. His whole body tingled with desire. He had never wanted so badly to fill her, satisfy her, as he did now, watching her touch herself with girlish abandon. But he held back, wanting to prolong the moment.

Claire worked her fingers into herself, steadily becoming more aroused with every second. She watched Cliff, who looked almost in pain as he enjoyed the exquisite torture of not being able to touch her. But she was ready for him to touch her. She wanted him to break down and bring himself to meet her, for both of them to find release with each other.

She got her wish a few moments later, as Cliff moved forward, moaning, "Oh God, Claire, I can't take it anymore. I need you." She happily moved her hand out of the way, spreading her thighs more to welcome him in. He plunged inside of her, crying out with pleasure. He thrust against her, both of their bodies awash in almost overwhelming desire. He layered his hips heavily down on her, pressing into her like she needed him to. She angled her hips up at him, and he could feel her tighten inside as she built up. Then her release came, the waves of it so strong it was almost earth-shattering. She screamed out his name as he bucked against her, releasing moments later with a deep groan. He collapsed on top of her, satisfied. His ponytail fell forward over his shoulder, tickling the side of her face.

They lay together, enjoying the afterglow. Cliff reluctantly moved off of her, laying beside her and pulling the blankets over both of them. Claire sighed contentedly and snuggled up to him. Cliff stroked her hair. "Now, wasn't that better than a hike through the snow?" he asked. "I think we've started a new, better tradition for Starry Night. I think I'll go to Mayor Thomas and propose that this be the new tradition for everyone."

Claire squealed, shoving him playfully. "No! Mayor Thomas is such a prude, he'd kick us out of Mineral Town!"

"Heh heh, I'm just kidding." Cliff assured her. He kissed her sweetly. "This can be our own private tradition."


	27. Spring Arrives

Spring was here, and Claire was blissful. She had become so tired of the cold weather, and the warm breezes of early spring were very welcome. She and Cliff worked industriously, prepping the land for spring crops. Claire sowed the turnip, potato, and cucumber seeds, then excitedly moved on to strawberry seeds. Those were a new addition at the supermarket, and she was thrilled to be able to plant them for the first time. The thought of sweet, fresh strawberries being fed to her by her sexy husband was incredibly tantalizing.

They finished their work just as the sun was setting. They went inside to get cleaned up, and Claire was surprised to hear the phone ring. She answered it quickly. "Hey girl, have I got a surprise for you or what! Ann actually invited me, AND you, to the inn tonight for Mary's bachelorette party." Claire grinned, remembering that Mary would be marrying Gray in a week. Elli continued to speak. "It's at 11pm tonight, which I know is way past your bedtime, but what harm will staying up late one time do? Well, are you in?"

Claire said she was, and then hung up the phone. She explained to Cliff, and he agreed that it sounded like fun. They took their showers, and then ate dinner. A few hours later, Claire dressed to go out, putting on a light blue sundress. Cliff looked at her slyly from the bed. "Aren't you going to tuck me in before you go?"

"Mmm hmm," Claire assured him, flipping up the dress to show him that she hadn't put on panties yet. Cliff gasped happily as she climbed in bed, tugging down his pajama pants and straddling him. He was already ready for her, so she slid him in, grinding against him. Cliff groaned and melted into the pillows. Claire worked herself faster and faster against him, until she exploded with pleasure. She stopped, catching her breath and recovering from the sensations. Cliff gripped her by the hips and moved her, urging her to keep moving against him. She happily did, and felt something stirring inside of her again. Much to Cliff's surprise and delight, she began tensing up on him once again, crying out in ecstasy as she had a second climax. Cliff was so pleased, that he thrust himself up into her, shuddering with pleasure as he found release.

They kissed sweetly, and then Claire carefully climbed off of him. She pulled the covers up to his chin and kissed his still trembling lips, saying "Nighty night. I love you." She pulled on some panties, smoothed out her dress, and slipped her shoes back on, then waved goodbye to the blissful looking Cliff.

She stepped out into the warm night air and headed for the inn. As she rounded the corner, she spotted Elli coming in from the opposite direction. They came together in front of the inn. Elli raised an eyebrow and reached up to smooth out Claire's hair, which was slightly ruffled. "Been having a little romp with Cliff?" Elli teased.

"No!…Yeah," Claire admitted, grinning widely.

"You crazy kids…" Elli groaned, knowing full well that she and the Doctor had just finished doing the same thing. But she had bothered to brush her hair before going out in public!

They went into the inn together, where Ann, Mary, and Karen already were already sitting around a table. Ann welcomed them, and urged them to sit down. Karen smiled slyly at the other girls. "I have a little surprise planned for tonight."

Elli blanched. "Oh, God. Please don't tell me you hired Zack to strip for us."

All five girls erupted in laughter. Karen caught her breath and said, "No, while that's such a good idea," she snickered, "I brought 'Have you?' cards."

The other four girls looked at her, intrigued. Karen explained. "It's a deck of cards with all kinds of sexual stuff on it." Karen saw the look of alarm in Mary's eyes and quickly said, "No, not for us to do to each other! Geez! We all get an alcoholic drink, a big one, like a Long Island Iced tea or something. We take turns reading a card aloud and if you have ever done what's on the card, you have to take a big sip."

Claire shrugged, figuring it might be fun. The other girls agreed as well, so Ann quickly fixed five large extra strength margaritas. Karen started the game off by drawing a card. "Okay, they start these off so easy. Have you ever gone all the way?"

All five girls took a long sip of their drinks, then giggled. Elli went next. She cleared her throat, then read "Have you ever gone down on him?" Again, all five girls took a drink.

It was Claire's turn next. "Have you ever let him go down on you?" This time, everyone but Ann took a drink. Karen pounded a fist on the table. "Girl, is Harris holding out on you? That's just cold." Ann shook her head quickly. "No, I think I look gross down there. It's like…chopped meat or something. He's tried but I won't let him." Elli rolled her eyes. "Speaking as your friend and as a medical professional, that's the way we all look down there. It looks gross to you because you're not attracted to yourself. But Harris is, so let him do it!"

Ann just blushed and shrugged. It was her turn next, so she drew a card. "Have you had sex today?" Claire and Elli both took a sip of their drinks. Claire smirked to herself, remembering the fun she and Cliff had just had.

Mary's turn was next, so she read a card. "Did you have sex yesterday?" She took a sip, as did Elli, Karen and Claire. Mary frowned at the card. "That's one's not worded in the same format as the others."

Karen snatched the deck from her. "Whatever, Miss Editor. My turn. Ahem…Have you had sex every day for the last 7 days?" Elli and Claire both took sips of their drink. Elli narrowed her eyes at Claire. "You liar. At the beginning of spring? With all you guys have to do on the farm? I don't believe it."

Claire tossed her hair defiantly. "We make time!" She snickered. "Besides, I don't think he can go to sleep without it. It's like his glass of warm milk or something."

All the girls laughed, and Ann slapped a hand on the table. "Oh! I just remembered something!" she yelled. For once, she realized the volume of her voice, and lowered it. "When Cliff lived here, he always took a shower before bed…and it was a REALLY looooong shower."

They all giggled hard, and then Elli pounded her fist and pointed her finger at Ann. "Hey, why were you paying attention to that? Pervert! Claire," she hissed at her best friend, "You better kick her ass."

Claire just laughed, knowing Elli was playing around. Ann blushed. "I…I wasn't! It's just that there would be no hot water left after he was done. So I had to notice!" She stuck her tongue out at Elli, who shrugged and drew a card.

"Ooh. Have you ever done it without a condom?" Elli read, then took a sip of her drink, as did Claire and Karen. Claire laughed to herself, because she had never done it WITH a condom. Karen eyed Ann and Mary. "You girls need to get with the times and get on the pill!"

Claire laughed at that, then drew a card. "Have you ever done it doggy style?" She, Elli, and Karen took a sip of their drinks.

"I guess we are prudes compared to you guys," Ann mused as she took a card. She stared at it for a moment. "Have you ever done the …reverse cowgirl? What the hell does that even mean?"

Claire took a long sip of her drink, as did Elli and Karen, showing that they also knew what it meant. Claire blushed, thinking back to her slightly drunken fun with Cliff on Winter Thanksgiving. Elli then explained the position to Mary and Ann in a very nurse like way.

Mary giggled and drew a card. She read it and blushed deeply. "Oh my! Well….Have you ever let him …spank you?"

Claire, Elli, Karen, and Ann all took sips of their drinks. Karen reached out and cheered glasses with Ann. "Way to go, girl! Get a little bit of that police brutality!" Ann rolled her eyes and set her glass down. Karen then turned on Mary. "Girl, you have got to let him spank you sometimes. It makes a man feel like he's in charge, or something. Anyway, it's hot." Mary just blushed and covered her face in her hands.

Karen drew a card. "Ha ha…Have you ever spanked HIM?" She and Elli lifted their glasses. Mary turned a serious eye on her. "Now how does that make him feel like he's in charge?"

"It doesn't. But sometimes I like to feel like I'm in charge!" Karen roared with laughter.

Elli drew a card. "Have you ever done it in the shower? Pffftt," she said while lifting her glass to her lips. "Who hasn't?" Apparently, not Mary or Ann. Elli shrugged. "Oh well, you will, you will."

It was Claire's turn and she picked up a card. "Have you ever done it in public?" Elli and Karen immediately took a sip, while Claire paused, running different experiences through her mind. There was only one that might qualify, so she asked, "Is the barn public?"

Elli shoved her playfully. "No, stupid. It's on your property."

Claire shrugged. "Oh well."

Ann drew a card next. "Have you and your guy ever had a simultaneous orgasm? Ha!" she said, throwing the card down. "Those are just a myth." But when she raised her eyes up to the other girls for confirmation, they all were drinking their drinks, looking away. Ann got red and balled up her fists. "No way!" All four girls nodded their heads at her silently.

Elli set down her drink. "If he's right at the edge when you go, it kind of just happens. But it's a very fine line. One bad move, and he's gone, and you're not. That happens too. But you can't TRY to make it happen. It's like trying to sneeze at the same time. But it is possible."

Claire only half heard her, because she was daydreaming about being on top of Cliff not long ago. She suddenly was aware that Elli was asking her something, nudging her in an attempt to get her attention. "Huh?" Claire asked, snapping to. The other four girls laughed at her.

Mary drew a card. "Oh. Oh my. Let's skip this one." She tried to put it at the bottom of the deck, but Karen snatched it from her.

"Lemme see!" Karen snickered when she read it. "Have you ever let him in your back door?" She took a swig of her drink and looked up at the other four girls, none of whom were drinking. Mary looked frightened, Ann looked disgusted, and Claire and Elli were shaking their heads.

Elli piped up. "I'm a freak between the sheets, but I draw the line at that! If he even suggested it, I'd club him!" Claire agreed, shivering at the thought.

Karen cocked her eyebrow. "Well, whatever. Different strokes for different folks, right?"

Elli laughed. "Yeah, literally! Wow, with all this dirt we're hearing on Rick, I'm sure glad Popuri is out of town right now!"

Karen laughed. "Yeah, and as open minded as I am, it's good that I have a high alcohol tolerance, because I've had to drink way more than all of you!"

They all laughed and clinked their glasses together, and continued to play.


	28. Just Between Us Girls

Two hours later, the bachelorette party was still going strong. After reaching a point in the "Have You?" deck that no one could take a drink to, the girls abandoned it. By that time, they were all quite tipsy, and their happy laughter echoed through the inn. Claire had gotten into a debate with Ann and who had liked Cliff more to begin with. Claire insisted that she had, proven by the fact that she had ended up with him, but Ann kept insisting that she knew him for longer. Finally, she gave in and said Claire was right.

"But seriously, Claire," Ann slurred, pointing at the blonde. "You'd better treat Cliff good."

Claire rolled her eyes. "I doooo treat him good," she slurred back.

"Oh yeah, that's right," Ann gave a lopsided grin. "You drank to almost every card in that deck. You guys are having fun on that farm. Fun on the farm! Fun of the farm! That sounds so funny!" Ann hiccupped loudly.

Elli waved her hands authoritatively. "The crown for fun goes to Karen, though! Woo hooooooo!" She clapped her hands and cheered.

Karen tipped her chair back, rolling with laughter. "Jush because I'm a little more adventuroush than the rest of you…" she sighed. The girls were giving her quite a razzing for some of the stuff she had admitted to doing with Rick.

Mary laughed loudly. "I'd never even heard of some of that stuff!"

Karen laughed back. "I know what I'm getting you for a wedding present. The Kama Sutra! You need some variety in yer life. It's not all," she swung her glass here, sloshing drink out, "missionary position."

Mary shook her head. "We do more than that, I swear." She laughed and then put her head down on the table.

"Hey! Hey! Don't go to sleep yet!" Ann practically leaped across the table to shake Mary. "That party's not over yet!"

Mary looked up and yawned. "But, I'm tired…" She tried to lay her head back down on the table, but Ann kept bothering her until finally, she sat up straight and tried to put on an "awake" face.

The party turned a little more raucous as the five girls decided to compare the sizes of their guy's members. At first, they all exaggerated, trying to be funny. Then Ann got a great idea. She stumbled behind the counter and fished out a large notepad and five pens. She cracked up as she passed out the paper and pens. "Here we go…let's draw a picture of it, life sized, and then write your guy's name on it. Hee hee!" Mary was resistant at first, but the other girls urged her on until she was scribbling furiously as well, blushing and giggling the whole time. Claire drew with long strokes, snickering as she thought about what the other girls' reactions might be to her masterpiece.

"Okay, everybody done? 1, 2, 3, show 'em!" Elli commanded. They all lifted up their papers and laughter echoed through the room as they looked at each other's artwork.

"What the hell is that supposhed to be, Elli?" Karen roared, pointing at Elli's "artwork."

Elli sneered. "I know I can't draw, but I tried, you hobag. Too bad you didn't have an orange crayon to color in around yours. DO the carpets match the drapes?"

Karen laughed even harder at this, and then turned on Claire. "Oh my God, is that for real? Why aren't you bowlegged yet? Damn…"

Claire stuck her chin out defiantly. "Yes, it's for real, and I'm proud of it!"

Ann looked at Claire's picture wistfully. "I'm sooo jeeeelusssss…"

Claire turned her picture a little away from Ann. "Dream on, loudmouth. He's all mine. Besides, you're not doing so bad yourself," she said while nodding at Ann's picture.

Ann grinned. "Yeah, not bad, huh?"

"Is that a nightstick in your pocket, officer, or are you just glad to see me?" Elli cackled, making all the other girls burst out in laughter as well. Elli then turned to look at Mary's picture. "Let me see that again…awww, thash such a good drawing. You really are an artist. How pretty…"

Mary looked back at Elli's picture. "I wish I could say the same to you…"

Elli stick out her tongue. "I already said I know I can't draw. Besides, the real thing is so wonderful that it can't be reflected on mere paper." The other girls laughed at her. "I'm serious!" she insisted.

As they were holding up their obscene artwork, suddenly a door swung open. "Damn it, girls, I'm trying to sleep, so keep it down!" Doug bellowed, marching out in his bathrobe. The girls all froze, still holding up their pictures. Ann snapped to life first and quickly crumpled hers, and the other girls slapped theirs facedown on the table, but it was too late. What had been seen could not be unseen. Doug's face was very red, and he opened his mouth, then snapped it shut again, turned around sharply and went back to where he came from.

The girls burst out in laughter again, this time trying to be a little quieter. "Oh my god," Karen wheezed. "I am never going to be able to face yer dad again!

Ann shook her head. "Yes, you will, you drunk. You can't stay away from this place."

Karen laughed hard at that. They all snickered a little more at their pictures, before tearing them up into little pieces, lest anyone find them in the trash and be scarred for life. Ann deposited the pieces in the trash, and then all the girls decided it was best to turn in for the night before they got into any more trouble.

As they went out the door together, Harris passed by, doing his late night patrol. "Hello, ladies."

"Helllloooo, occifer…" Elli slurred. "Is that a nightstick-" Claire clamped her hand over her best friend's mouth to keep her from saying something offensive. "Hello, Harris," Claire managed to say. "We're a little tipsy. Do you think you could walk us all home?"

Harris agreed and they set off. The girls were still in good cheer, and they sang as they stumbled along. They made a loop of the town, first dropping off Elli at the clinic, then Karen at the supermarket. They walked a ways more and dropped off Mary at the library, then Harris helped the unsteady Claire straight down the path back to her farm. Claire stumbled in the door and into the bathroom, where she brushed her teeth and washed her face, then went into the bedroom. She kicked her shoes off and shed her dress, climbing into bed in just her panties. Cliff moaned sleepily and rolled over to embrace her, his hands moving over her bare back. Claire just nuzzled him blissfully, falling asleep quickly.

She woke up the next morning with a pounding headache, and felt a little queasy. Cliff was already out of bed, and hearing her moans, he came back in, looking sympathetic. He brushed her hair out of her eyes. "Do you feel bad?" he asked. Claire nodded, a sad look on her face. "Let me get you something." He departed again briefly, only to return holding a glass of water and some aspirin. Claire took it gratefully, and laid back down in bed facedown. "Just sleep some more, you'll feel better, I promise," Cliff assured her, moving to shut the curtains as tightly as he could.

Claire moaned, "Oh…I'll never drink another margarita."


	29. The Cooking Festival

Chapter 29

Chapter 29

The Cooking Festival

"It's still not right!" Claire dropped her spoon on the plate with a clang, and rubbed her eyes out of frustration and exhaustion.

Cliff squirmed. "I think it tastes good, honey…"

Claire looked up. "But good isn't enough. It has to taste amazing to win the cooking competition!" This year, she was all gung ho to win. Claire had been given a recipe by Muffy at the Blue Bar in Forget Me Not Valley. Muffy had found it on the floor one day when she opened the bar, and she said the whole place smelled heavenly. It was like a ghost had come in and made the curry, then left. A very strange occurrence, indeed.

So now Claire was in possession of the tattered piece of paper. It was titled "Finest Curry," and it had been vexing her to no end. She pulled it out once more and complained about it. "I mean, come on! You have to make eight different colored curries, combine those into Rainbow Curry, THEN combine that with White Curry and …six different kinds of burnt food? Why? What does that even mean? How would that improve the taste?" She wailed and buried her face in her hands, letting the paper drift to the floor. She had tried to make it without the burnt foods, but it tasted bland. She added the burnt foods, but it tasted, well, burnt! She was just about at the end of her tether.

Cliff stood up and went behind his wife, stroking her back and murmuring comfortingly. "Your regular curry is delicious, honey. Why can't you just enter that?"

Claire sighed. "It's just not special enough. I really wanted to have an edge by using this mysterious recipe. But I give up. It looks like Doug will win again this year."

A few days later, they attended the Cooking Festival. Everyone was waiting for the category to be announced, so that they could hurry home and get their dishes prepared. It was supposed to be a secret, but Manna had informed everyone that the categories were in a repeating pattern, and was most likely going to be recipes that were made in a pot. Everyone had hurried to plan out stew and curry dishes that would be sure to win. She crowd hushed as Gourmet approached the podium to speak. Claire stared at the man, mesmerized. He was morbidly obese, and absolutely odd looking. He had large, fish like lips, and he wore a strange purple suit complete with a tiny top hat. He cleared his throat, creating a sound similar to a walrus' cry.

"The category this year will be…Oven!"

The crowd gasped. Manna looked around nervously and then scurried off home, not wanting anyone to unleash their wrath on her for spreading false information. Claire was stunned for a moment, then looked at her husband, a sly smile creeping across her face. "You know what this means, honey?" Cliff was already way ahead of her. "Chocolate mousse cake!" he cheered, then grinned and covered his mouth, not wanting any one else to steal Claire's idea. They hurried home.

The kitchen became a mess of bowls and spoons as Claire rushed around, preparing the very difficult but very tasty cake. Cliff sat at the table and happily watched her work, eagerly consuming the remnants out of any bowl she gave him. She had set one such bowl down near the sink and quickly went on to another task. Cliff raised an eyebrow and approached it, lifting the spoon out and peering inside. Claire turned around just in time. "Cliff!" she squealed. "Don't eat that! It's just raw egg!"

Cliff dropped the spoon and pouted, sitting back down. "But I want more," he whined.

Claire rolled her eyes. "You'll have all you can eat pretty soon. The Gourmet only has to taste the cake, and then we'll take home the leftovers." Cliff just smiled at the thought of that.

Claire finally finished it, putting all she had into decorating it. Then they covered it the best they could, and Cliff carried it to Rose Square, Claire practically bouncing with joy alongside him. "I wonder what the prize will be? Oooh, I'm so excited!" she squealed.

They reached Rose Square and set the cake on the judging table. Claire eyed the other entries. Doug had submitted some kind of creamy looking white cake. Manna had submitted chocolate encrusted cookies. Lillia had submitted a strawberry pie. And then Karen…well, Karen's entry was something. It was either a cake made of very dark chocolate, or it was burnt. Claire was pretty sure it was probably the latter.

Gourmet looked over the table approvingly, then set to work. He cut a large slice out of Doug's cake. He chewed it enthusiastically, then gave his verdict. "Amazing! The frosting is light, yet creamy, and the cake is moist and delicious!" Doug beamed, and Gourmet moved on to Manna's entry.

He gobbled down several of the cookies, then smiled. "Wonderful! How original! My mouth is singing!" Manna gave a little curtsey.

Gourmet then tasted Lillia's strawberry pie. "Oh! Goodness! This screams of spring! The flavor bursts with the wholesome taste of sunshine! Excellent!"

Gourmet then approached Karen's dish. His face wrinkled at the sight of it, his large fishlips drooping into a frown. "Karen…didn't I tell you last year not to enter ever again?"

Karen pouted. "I've been practicing. It's better. Try it, and you'll see."

Gourmet looked doubtful, then brought the fork to his lips. He gingerly put a small piece in his mouth, then roared and coughed in disgust. "You call that CAKE? What is in it?!"

Karen gaped at him. "No way! It should have been awesome!" She snatched a bit of it up with her fingers and shoved it in her mouth. She blanched, and then gagged. "Oh, geez…I guess the wine was a bad idea."

Gourmet scoffed. "You put wine in this cake?"

Karen scowled at him. "No, I DRANK a lot of wine while I was making it! I put honey, cream, dumpling powder, chocolate, curry powder, oil, flour, relax tea leaves, and ground cabbage in it! Those are all good things!"

"Good things?! Why…why would you put cabbage or curry powder in a cake?" Gourmet wheezed.

Karen crossed her arms. "Like I said, the cabbage was ground up. The recipe called for coconut flakes, but I didn't have any, so I figured that would give the same texture! Then the recipe called for allspice, which I didn't have either, but I figured curry was A spice, so why wouldn't it work?"

She and Gourmet glared back and forth at each other, then Gourmet finally cleared his throat. "Well, at any rate, young lady, it is a failure. Disqualified!" Karen huffed and stepped back into the crowd.

Gourmet moved on to Claire's cake, which was the final entry. Claire wiggled nervously, waiting for his reaction. He cut himself a huge slice, then began chomping away. His eyes lit up, and he ate faster. He spoke to her with his mouth full of cake. "INCREDIBLE! My mouth is exploding in pleasure! Never before have I tasted chocolate in this way! You have made all my chocolate dreams come true!" Claire just smiled, flattered (but slightly creeped out), then started as the Gourmet cut himself another huge slice.

"W-w-wait! Aren't you just supposed to taste it?" Claire stuttered.

Gourmet turned a stern, monocled eye on here. "I am a professional. I know what I'm doing." He then proceeded to eat the entire cake. Cliff's face dropped in despair, knowing that he would be getting no taste of it now.

Gourmet cleaned his chocolate covered face, and then burped. The crowd made a collective "Ewww…" and Gourmet gave them all a stern look, clearing his throat authoritatively. "The winner is….Claire!"

Claire was thrilled, throwing her arms up in the air, but she paused a moment to hug her husband, who was still devastated with shock that the whole cake was gone.

Mayor Thomas came forward. "And your prize is…a new coffee table!"

Claire cheered, but Cliff just choked back a sob. "I just wanted some cake…"


End file.
